What Next?
by eromist
Summary: I got rid of the other story and decided to start this one. When I'm not updating a profound change, I'll do this one. Two stories in one blow, let's see how this goes! Hope you like the new OC, she's a hoot to write.
1. Prologue

Abbey Harrison was going to die.

It was something of a comfort for her because if things got bad, she always had death to fall back on. And with that thought, Abbey could do whatever she wanted because she had death in the back of her mind. She could die, that was her choice, that was in her control. Perhaps those thoughts were a little twisted for someone as young as Abbey, but it never seemed to be an issue. Not with her, anyway.

Her parents were both very young when Abbey came along.

They were only eighteen, her mother was seventeen.

Quickly, they had to get married before Abbey was born but they were both so happy when their first child came into the world. She had dark hair, light eyes and was the most beautiful baby they had ever seen. Abbey was very quiet too, even as a toddler. She was reserved, didn't play with the other children and would get upset if things were too loud. Her mother tried to include her into birthday parties, the church fairs but Abbey would fall apart because it was too chaotic for her.

She wasn't a clingy child.

Abbey rarely hugged her parents and didn't start stringing sentences together until the age of five. Her parents took her to see the doctors, who told them;

"she's slow, give her time".

Mathew and Helen loved their daughter all the same.

But though Abbey couldn't talk, she was bright.

Her memory was outstanding, and she was very dedicated to finishing off a task. Though, Abbey soon grew obsessive traits. She only stuck with one toy, her parents had to follow a routine which the child had created and if that was broken, Abbey would lash out and scream. Her personality followed her into her teenage years, where things got more complicated.

As a child, it was easy to control Abbey's moods and her little quirks.

But as a teenager, they found it more and more difficult.

She had no friends because she found it difficult to make friends. And Abbey took a lot of days off school because nothing ever sat right with her. She'd either not speak for the whole day, or she'd yell at the teachers. For being so quiet, Abbey could seriously lash out when something went wrong.

Mathew and Helen soon grew extremely worried.

They didn't know what to do with their daughter.

But when war interrupted their lives, Abbey's problems were pushed to the back of their minds. Many children were evacuated from Liverpool during September in 1939. Over eight thousand children and school teachers were sent away to small villages and towns, in the English countryside, where they'd be safe from the bomb threats. But months went by, the Luftwaffe didn't attack Liverpool.

Out in their back garden, Mathew had made an Anderson shelter, a bomb shelter, where the family would run into once the alarms were sounded. If you didn't have your own shelter, then Liverpool offered many around the city centre. But it was always best to have one in your garden. They also developed rules, where after dark, all the lights had to be turned off and to prevent any light from shinning out of your windows, you'd put up black curtains.

It was a very stressful time for the families of Liverpool.

Helen had four children now.

Their other daughter Lucy and two sons, Harold and Peter.

Abbey found it very hard sometimes, her younger brothers were always loud, and her little sister never left her alone. Though, if things got too much, Abbey would hide away in the shelter and read her books. Peter was born in July 1940, so, he was still a new born and screamed constantly because he had colic.

During the day, they tried to live as normally as possible.

Mathew would work at his job as postman.

Helen would look after Peter and the older children would go to school.

Abbey still couldn't get on at school. She'd shout, the teachers would punish her.

She would come home with wrists as red as apples.

"This needs to stop". Mathew told her, "Abbey, you have to behave".

Abbey couldn't understand, she thought they were wrong.

"It's not my fault". She replied, "they don't understand, they mess everything up".

He crouched in front of her, "you're a good girl, Abbey. You're smart but you have issues that we don't understand".

And that's why Abbey was the way she was.

Because in this world, she was lost and confused.

Her head was all over the place, going one thousand miles per hour. And Abbey had to make sense of it all. She didn't understand herself, not really, so, therefor, she didn't understand other people. That got her into a lot of fights. If a kid from her class ever did talk with her, he might have been kidding her on, but Abbey didn't get it and she'd fight them.

So, not only were her wrists red but her eyes were black and blue.

Helen would get very upset.

Her two younger siblings started to avoid her.

And Peter still cried.

In August, the same year Peter was born, Liverpool was bombed.

The alarms went off, Mathew and Helen gathered their children and they ran out into the shelter. One hundred and sixty bombers attacked the city that night. And they didn't stop attacking for three days. There were fifty raids on the city over the next three months, the Luftwaffe compromised aircraft's, which lasted over ten hours. All year, they were bombed. Not every night but the worst one was on the 28th of November, when they bombed an air raid shelter in During Road causing one hundred and sixty-six fatalities. Churchill described it as the "single worst incident of war".

But the Christmas Blitz was by far the worst.

Helen and Mathew sent their children away into the country.

Abbey remained in Liverpool.

She couldn't go, she wouldn't have been able to handle change.

Three hundred and sixty-five people were killed between the 20th and the 21st of December.

A few teenagers from Abbey's school had died.

And when it ended, Liverpool wasn't the same city anymore.

Besides from London, they had the most raids.

Liverpool had the largest port on the west coast and played an import role to the British war effort. They were a high target for the Germans and Liverpool hated the Germans. The whole of Britain despised them. They had destroyed their houses, shops and businesses. And the young men were off out in the war, fighting and dying every day.

Abbey would walk along the streets, taking in all the destroyed buildings.

It was the first time in her life where she fully understood why families cried.

Many had died, innocent civilians.

It was tragic.

Their little two up and two down house on Madryn Street remained standing.

Abbey was transferred to a collage.

They hoped her behaviour would change, as she never fit in with secondary or primary school.

But it didn't.

The last time Liverpool was bombed was in January 1942.

So, everything went on as normal.

The classes were almost empty, however.

But Abbey still managed to get into trouble.

One day, her parents were called up to the professor's office.

Abbey was sitting outside, back pressed up against the chair.

There was a young man opposite her, who was crying and sniffling.

She tried to ignore him for a few minutes but eventually said;

"can you stop crying?"

The man covered his face, "my brother is dead".

Abbey asked him, "why?"

"The Krauts".

"Oh".

She looked down at her hands.

"I'm sorry".

The man continued to cry; Abbey didn't speak after.

When the door to the professor's office opened, Abbey was called inside.

Mathew had his arm around Helen, who was dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

"Take a seat, Harrison". The professor told her.

Abbey sat down next to her dad.

"We're sending you away".

Helen sniffed, "it's not your fault, Abbey".

"It's entirely her fault". The professor grunted, "she has been nothing but a disappointment to this college, Mrs Harrison. And dare I say it; you have obviously not given her much in the ways of discipline".

Mathew shook his head, "you're wrong, Martin".

The professor sighed, "your daughter is eighteen, Mr Harrison. And something needs to change. She is a bright girl, very intelligent but her behaviour is unacceptable. She will never get a job; she will live on the dole for the rest of her life. That's her future, if things do not change".

The professor clasped his hands together, looking down at the girl.

"As you know, I am close with our Prime minister. He respects my decisions and work a great deal. When he made the journey to Liverpool last week, we had a few words about this college and my studies. Naturally, you were brought up, Harrison. And you, child, should feel special enough for Churchill to even care a tiny amount, about a bad behaved teenager from Madryn Street".

Abbey blinked, face remaining impassive.

"You're going to train with the Yanks". He told her, "I cannot have you in my classes and Harrison, take this as a compliment, while I think of your future. Where you're going, they'll push you hard, get rid of all that bad behaviour and you'll return to your family as a changed person, I can assure you".

The meeting ended with Abbey running out of the collage.

She ran all the way to the docks.

Her dad eventually found her, after two hours of searching.

Abbey was standing on the railings, looking out towards the water.

"This will be good for you-"

"you think?"

Mathew nodded, standing next to her.

Seagulls were squawking and diving down onto the road, where someone had dropped their fish and chips. Mathew brought out his pipe and lit it up. He puffed it a few times, before leaning against the railings. Abbey remained quiet, while her mind tried to understand the situation.

So, what, if she fought in the war.

So, what, if she died.

Abbey just didn't want to move away and leave her comfort zone.

How could she cope in America?

"Imagine Churchill thinking about us". Mathew went on quietly, "he must really like old Martin, eh?"

Abbey, gripping onto the railings, pushed back a little.

She tilted her head up towards the sky, staring up at the clouds.

"You'll be alright, our kid". Mathew said, "you know how it feels, eh?"

"What?" She mumbled.

"You feel bad for those kids in your school, the families who lost everything".

Abby closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath.

"You'll be doing the world a favour".

She opened her eyes again and jumped down from the railings.

Mathew looked down at her, "I don't want to see you leave but I want you to be successful". He said to her, "I was on the dole, it was horrible. I could barely provide for you and your mum. I don't want that life for you, Abbey".

"I'll go". She told him, "but I might not come back".

He frowned, "don't say that to me, bug".

Abbey didn't say anything else.

Mathew tapped the tobacco out of his pipe, and they walked home.

In all honestly, Abbey wasn't sad to be leaving home.

But she would miss her mum.

That attachment she had with her mother; it was hard to imagine living without it. And Helen worried her daughter wouldn't cope because she certainly couldn't, but Mathew had sided with the professor, it was best for Abbey. She'd be in good hands as far as discipline went. And the army would give her three square meals a day and money.

Helen was two months pregnant when Abbey was packing for America.

She swore, this would be her last child.

Five was enough.

Abbey's only thought was; at least she wouldn't be hearing another baby cry.

And her dad thought she was joking when she told them that.

Mathew pulled her into a quick hug.

"Be good, Abbey". He whispered, "listen to them, alright?"

She wrapped one arm around him.

Abbey pulled back a few seconds later.

Helen kissed her daughter's cheek and hugged her tightly.

"I never wanted this".

She was crying.

"I'm sorry, Abbey".

When the hug broke apart, Abbey picked up her suitcase.

Everything was neatly folded up inside, it had taken her six hours to pack. She didn't bring a lot because she didn't have a lot, but everything had to be packed away correctly. She had packed and re-packed almost all night. Helen eventually came in and helped her, but it only made Abbey more frustrated.

They didn't have a good night.

And they didn't have a good morning.

But despite all that, Abbey was going.

She got inside the black taxi and lay her suitcase across her lap.

Helen, Mathew and her siblings waved her off.

Abbey gave the smallest of waves back, just before the cab drove off.

She'd get a plane from London and into America.

From there, the rest was history.


	2. Chapter 1

It wasn't easy at all.

The plane ride was horrible, everyone was a bag of nerves.

Abbey didn't think they'd make it out alive but after eleven or so hours and two stops later, they made it to New York. Abbey didn't like it, not one bit. The airport was busy, everyone was rushing around and heading to one place or another, all at a great speed. Abbey was standing in the middle of it all, one hand covering her ear, while her other gripped onto her suitcase tightly.

Her eyes remained glued to the floor.

People were yelling, laughing and walking passed her.

The worst part, Abbey could hear everything.

The sounds were projected, and they echoed inside her head. It hurt, gave her a slight headache. She had to rub her ear a few times, just to stop it from hurting. Abbey was standing amongst total strangers. Home was far behind her; she didn't know how to get from this airport to Georgia. In fact, Abbey had no idea where Georgia even was. America was so unusual for her.

They talked different.

The people dressed differently.

And the men were passionate with their girls.

Eventually, after ten minutes of staring at the floor, Abbey looked up.

She could see the exit and she needed to get there.

Outside, there was a train station, which would get her into South Carolina.

And from there, someone was going to pick her up.

Abbey eventually took one step.

Someone crashed into her.

"Sorry, kid!"

She placed a hand by her ear again and walked out of the door.

The train arrived five minutes later; Abbey almost missed it.

She got distracted because a dog was following her.

That was another thing, Abbey was very easily distracted when introduced to a new place. When the school took them out for a trip, she'd wonder off by accident because something had caught her eyes. The teachers would eventually find her, and Abbey would get yelled at.

But she was on the train now.

Sitting down and wasn't to move until South Carolina.

There was so much to see.

Abbey's eyes went from the view, to the people around her.

Young couples, the elderly and families.

Men reading the newspapers, woman applying make-up and children causing trouble. Abbey was sitting next to an elderly man, who was reading the Bible. She didn't talk to him, not once. And whenever he looked her way, she was looking out the window. The man would sigh and resume his readings, probably thinking she was rude or just shy. Either way, Abbey was neither.

No, she just didn't know what to say.

Striking up a conversation wasn't something she ever did.

Not unless she was lashing out because something went wrong.

Then you'd be telling her to shut up and sit down.

Abbey remained quiet throughout the entire journey.

She shifted a few times, when her legs got restless.

But that was about it.

The man beside her got off after a few stops.

And she sat by herself for the remainder of the journey.

When the train arrived at her destination, Abbey got up, held onto her suitcase and walked right off that train, trying hard not to get distracted. But everything was so new and different. Her eyes went to everything and her mind tried to keep up with her vision, processing what she was seeing.

By the end of it, she was the only one on the platform.

Which then struck the young man who was standing there, waiting for the girl he was supposed to drive to camp. He had been standing there for over an hour, leaning against the pillar. No one had tried to find him, and he almost gave up but when the people cleared the platform, he saw one girl who remained, taking everything in.

Gerald Lorraine carefully approached the girl.

"Uh…excuse me?"

Abbey stilled.

"Are you Harrison?"

Blinking, she turned around.

Abbey nodded.

Lorraine smiled, though, it was a nervous sort of smile.

"Well, I'm here to pick you up, I guess – uh, jeeps this way".

He walked off, she followed behind.

But only for a few moments.

Abbey walked over to the building by the train station.

A man was standing behind a stall.

There were sweets on the stands, colourfully wrapped up.

Abbey stared at the different colours, fingers grazing on the unfamiliar bars of chocolate and candy. The man behind the stall cleared his throat.

"Want some, kid?"

Lorraine stopped walking by this point and turned around.

"Jesus Christ". He whispered, marching over to her.

Abbey picked up a bar.

"You want the Hershey's?" The man asked her.

Frowning a little, Abbey shook her head.

"No? Put it back, this ain't a library".

"Look, Harrison?" Lorraine said, "it's a long drive back to Toccoa. We 'gotta leave now".

Abbey gently placed the Hershey's bar back.

And she had to admire how neatly all the sweets were lined up.

Just for another few minutes.

That didn't sit well with Lorraine.

"Harrison". He said again, "come on, Jesus – let's go".

Safe to say, Abbey was the worst for Lorraine at the moment.

But she did follow after him, trying to match his quick pace.

When they reached the jeep, Lorraine put her suitcase in the back, and she got into the passenger's side. When he got in, they were soon driving down a road. The jeep didn't have a roof, so the wind was a welcome breeze. The weather was warm in America, Abbey would need to get used to that because in Liverpool, it never went passed twenty-four degrees.

It was August.

It was hot and clammy.

Abbey could already feel her clothes stick to her body from sweat.

It wasn't a nice feeling; it made her feel uncomfortable.

Her skin started to itch; Abbey rubbed her back against the seat.

Lorraine looked her way for a moment.

"You're quiet, huh?"

Abbey bobbed her head.

He snorted, facing the front again.

"Look, I've to tell you what's 'gonna happen when you get there". He said, "so, listen up, alright?"

Abbey bobbed her head again, while her eyes looked towards the passing scenery.

"So, Colonel Sink commands the 506th regiment. We have 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalion. You're being placed into 2nd Battalion, they have Dog, Easy, Fox and Battalion HQ Company's. Major Strayer commands your Battalion. Unlike the other armies, we train here as a unit and will remain together for the duration of the war. Pretty neat, huh?"

Lorraine grinned, looking her way.

Abbey was still staring towards the view on her side.

He cleared his throat and faced the front, "anyway, you're being placed into Easy Company. Your Company Commander is Lieutenant Sobel". He smirked, "Easy have the highest dropout rates, Sobel is one mean son of a bitch – good luck". He added the last part quietly, "when we get there, you'll be sorted into a Platoon. You're lucky, last month we were camping out in tents. The barracks are brand-new".

Lorraine tried to reach for the glove compartment.

"Hey – get in there and get my smokes, you would?"

Abbey faced the glove compartment, which sat above her knees.

Leaning forwards, she opened it up.

"See? The packet, right in front of you – the Lucky Strike".

Abbey didn't know what "smokes" meant.

But she did find the packet he was looking for.

She handed the item to him and watch his hands, while they brought out two cigarettes.

"Hey, you smoke?" Lorraine asked, placing a cigarette into his mouth.

Abbey shook her head.

"Nah – I didn't think you did". He smirked, "too young, huh?"

Smokes meant cigarettes.

Back in Liverpool they were called "ciggies".

And everyone smoked. Even kids. Her dad started at a young age; her mum never touched them. Abbey didn't want to smoke, she tried it once and she was sick. So, she never did it again. Her mum went mental and sent her up to her room. Not that Abbey minded, she was heading there anyway.

"So – uh – Colonel Sink was a little surprised". Lorraine said, "when this guy recommended you".

Abbey frowned a little; did he mean Churchill?

"Some professor or something". He shrugged, "I 'dunno but the fellas ain't happy".

Lorraine grimaced, carefully looking at her.

"Sorry but…well, they ain't, you know?" He said, "they don't want a girl to drag along".

Abbey looked at her hands.

"That's fine". She said evenly.

Lorraine snorted, "I was beginning to think you didn't speak".

Looking up, Abbey stared ahead of her.

He cleared his throat, "so, yeah – it might be tough".

"I don't care".

"No?"

Abbey shook her head. "No".

Lorraine raised an eyebrow, "geez, Harrison". He mumbled, "you probably 'outta care a little. I mean, you'll be with these men for a while".

She went quiet again.

Lorraine told her about training.

He spoke about a mountain they had to run up called Currahee.

He told her about weapons training, the obstacle course and lectures.

Lorraine warned her again that it wasn't going to be easy and most of the men signed up to fight along side the best.

"And the extra fifty bucks". He added, "officers get an extra hundred".

He grinned, with a sigh.

"Man, that sure is a lot of money for the likes of me".

Abbey shifted, legs beginning to feel restless.

Lorraine looked at her again.

"Another hour". He told her, "then I'll take you to Sobel. He'll sort you out after".

One hour later, they reached the camp.

Abbey saw men running around in shorts and t-shirts.

She saw men wearing uniforms, walking back to their barracks.

Lorraine stopped the jeep outside of HQ.

He got out, grabbed her suitcase and walked to her side of the jeep.

Abbey remained seated.

She could hear a whistle blowing in the distance and someone yelling, a few moments later, a group of men yelled back;

"yes, sir!"

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

Lorraine smiled a little, "come on, Harrison. It'll be fine".

He opened the door.

Abbey got out a few moments later, feet hitting dry and red mud.

There were many barracks and behind the camp, a mountain loomed over them.

That must have been Currahee.

Lorraine handed her back the suitcase.

Abbey gripped it tightly into her right hand.

"This way, Harrison".

She kept her head down because men started to look her way.

They stopped whatever they were doing, just to see if their eyes were playing tricks on them.

"It's a fucking broad-"

"what the fuck-"

"what the hell is she doing here?!"

But her brain was bugging her to look up.

Abbey lifted her eyes, just so she could see what was around her.

There was a large field to her right, behind that, was the start of the obstacle course.

And they passed more barracks, with men sitting outside, smoking.

Eventually, Lorraine stopped outside one barrack.

He turned down to look at her, "right?"

Abbey nodded.

Lorraine gave the door a few hurried knocks.

Moments later, someone replied;

"enter".

Taking in a deep breath, Lorraine opened the door.

Straightening himself up, he saluted the Lieutenant, who was behind a desk.

"Lieutenant Sobel, sir". He addressed, "sending you Private Harrison, reporting for training".

Slowly, the man behind the desk looked up.

"I don't see her, Private".

Lorraine bit his tongue, suppressing a curse.

Turning around, he saw that Abbey was still outside.

"Harrison". He hissed, "get in".

Abbey walked up the steps and entered the barrack.

There, she saw Sobel.

He had dark hair, small dark eyes and a large nose.

And when he stood up, he was very tall.

Sobel walked over to the two Privates, eyes squinting down at Abbey.

She wasn't exactly sure what to do.

But he continued to look at her, making Abbey feel very strange.

It was the same look her professor would give her, if she had done something wrong. Only, Abbey hadn't done anything wrong, not at the moment. She had only just walked into the barrack to meet this man.

"Private Lorraine".

"Yes, sir". Lorraine answered back immediately.

Sobel took a step back, "take her to 2nd Platoon".

"Yes, sir".

The Lieutenant handed her a uniform, boots, nightclothes and PT gear.

They left the barrack and were back outside under the baking sun once more.

Lorraine sighed, "dammit, Harrison". He muttered, "you're meant to salute the officers, okay? And always address them as 'sir', or you'll get into a lot of trouble".

Abbey listened.

But her eyes forever wondered.

She saw a group of men playing basketball.

They were yelling, cheering each other on and laughing.

"You hear me?"

Abbey pulled her eyes away and looked back ahead.

Lorraine sighed again, "man, you better be careful".

Soon, they stopped outside another barrack.

This was where 2nd Platoon were billeted.

She could hear a lot of noise, talking, laughing and kidding around.

Abbey gripped her suitcase tighter in her hand.

Lorraine almost felt bad for leaving her.

"Just go in, be nice". He told her, "and – uh – yeah, you'll be alright".

Abbey looked towards the door.

She felt something tug her gut, nerves, probably.

Teeth digging into her bottom lip, Abbey walked up the steps and placed her hand on the doorknob. She just wanted to run away, get back on the plane and hide in her room. But then why did it matter, Abbey could do this. Because she had something to fall back on.

She opened the door and stepped inside.


	3. Chapter 2

The laughter stopped when the door closed.

It was like Abbey had just stepped into a party and ruined it.

The men went quiet, looking at her.

Well, the quiet didn't last very long.

"Fucking Christ". Someone muttered, "we got the broad".

Abbey's eyes wondered around the room, until they spotted an empty bed.

She started to walk, floorboards creaking in the quiet.

It sounded very loud.

And it felt awkward being here, Abbey thought. She didn't like the feeling at all. It made her stomach bubble with butterflies and her hands go clammy and sweaty. But she reached the bed at the back of the barrack and carefully put her suitcase on the top of the blanket.

One thing she liked so far, was everything was neat and tidy.

All the men's uniforms were pressed.

The sheets weren't creased and what they weren't wearing, was hung up and ironed. So, Abbey liked that about the barrack. But what she didn't like were the eyes, which stared and glared at her. It wasn't as bad as Sobel's eyes, but the men obviously didn't want her here.

Fine, Abbey didn't want to be there either.

But unless she washed-out, they were stuck together.

She opened her suitcase.

Her spare clothes were still sitting there neatly, with her toothbrush to the side and her two books placed on the top. Peter Pan and the Hobbit. Abbey loved fantasy novels. She had read these two books religiously. Peter Pan was the first book she owned; the Hobbit was next. And she didn't read anything else, just those two.

The chatter grew loud again.

Abbey tried not to listen.

"She'll get us fucking killed".

"Don't worry, I give her one week".

"No way, I give her three days".

"Bet on it?"

Well, at least she made a fun gamble.

Abbey had never been betted on before, it was interesting.

Picking up her uniform and boots, Abbey walked down the strip.

She decided to change in the latrines, which was across from them.

A foot appeared out of nowhere, tripping her up.

Some of them laughed.

Others looked away, when they felt pity.

"Ops". The culprit grinned, "didn't see you there, doll".

Her uniform and boots were splattered out in front of her, all twisted and creased.

Abbey felt her eyebrows twitch.

She sat up and collected her clothes and boots.

Clenching her jaw, Abbey got onto her feet.

She didn't even look at the guy who did it, "fucking arse".

He raised his eyebrows, "what?"

"You – you ruined it". She stated, in her monotone voice. "It's all creased".

"Well, fucking iron it!"

Abbey lowered her eyes, "I will".

Turning around, she headed back down the strip.

While making the walk back, she rubbed her ear because some of the men were still laughing at her. Abbey tried not to care, while she placed her clothes down on the table and plugged in the iron. So, what. They hated her, that was fine. But her uniform was creased. When Sobel handed it to her, it was pressed and neat. Now, it was ruined.

Abbey was angrier about that, not him tripping her over.

And he did see her, he lied.

Abbey kept her eyes down, while she ironed out her uniform.

It only took her one hour but when it was done, her clothes were straight once again.

Grabbing her uniform, she headed back down the strip.

It happened again; the same guy tripped her up.

Abbey fell flat on her stomach, uniform tangling up on the ground.

Sitting up, her hands hovered above her ears, while her eyes stared at the clothes. Abbey swallowed, shaking her head from side to side. He was enjoying this. That was pretty twisted, she thought. And she looked up, reading the name across his chest.

Nelson.

Abbey left her uniform on the ground and got onto her feet.

She didn't look him in the eye, while he grinned.

His buddies beside him laughed.

Abbey's thumb pressed against her other thumb.

"Oh, I didn't see you again". Nelson teased, "my mistake, doll".

"I'm not a doll". She mumbled; voice very quiet.

He didn't catch that.

"What was that, doll?"

Abbey continued to look passed him, eyes glaring at the wall.

"I'm not a doll".

Her voice was louder now, silencing the men.

Nelson smirked, arms crossing over his chest.

"What are you then, huh? You think you can just be a soldier? You don't fucking belong here".

"No". She said, "I don't".

"Good, I'm glad you agree".

The tension was high.

It was so thick; you could have sliced right into it.

And the men watched the pair of them, wondering what would happen next.

Nelson had a stern expression, matching her glare.

"So, pack your shit". He spat, "and get the fuck out of here. You Limey asshole".

Abbey's eyes snapped away from the wall.

Now, she was staring up at him.

She shook her head, "I don't care".

"Great. So, get lost".

Abbey pushed him.

It was a hard push. Nelson stumbled back, his friend caught him, preventing his fall onto the ground. And once recovered, Nelson looked very pissed off. While the men around them grew a little concerned. But Abbey didn't seem bothered. Not as bothered as Nelson, anyway.

"You fucking ass!" He yelled.

Abbey turned around, looking back towards her uniform.

Nelson's face scrunched up in anger, where he then pushed her.

She fell to the ground and bit her lip when her chin smashed against the floor.

Abbey licked her bottom lip, tasting blood.

She had only been here for over an hour and already, she was getting into a fight. Abbey sat up and decided she wouldn't fight him. Instead, she collected her creased uniform and walked back down the strip to iron it again.

"You freak!" Nelson yelled, with a tiny laugh. "Jesus! What the hell did they let in!?"

"Give it a rest, Nelson". Someone mumbled.

"Ah – come on, Skip". He said, "this broad's lost her fucking mind".

Abbey wiped the blood from her bottom lip.

Well, at least he didn't punch her.

But her first day didn't get any better, unfortunately.

Abbey dressed in the latrines and by the time she was finished, they were called for supper in the mess hall. She wasn't very hungry and didn't want to go. Abbey was quite happy skipping this meal and staying inside the barrack. But their Platoon Sargent didn't let that happen. And not wanting to get pushed again, she followed his order and walked into the mess hall.

It was loud, all the men from 2nd Battalion were inside.

And it smelt strange. Like grease, butter and salt.

The smell of salt reminded her of home, the Albert Docks.

She almost turned around and ran out the door, but someone was behind her, blocking her way. Abbey turned back around and picked up a tray. She joined the line of men, who were hungry and talking about their days training. The cook gave her odd looks and placed this strange food on her plate. It wasn't like back home.

Everything was mixed together, and nothing looked plain.

All except the white bread.

Abbey looked up towards the cook.

"Move it". He said.

Taking her tray, she turned around and moved out of the line.

Abbey walked between tables, while men stopped and looked at her. They said comments to the man next to them, most of them were pretty disgusting. But Abbey didn't understand the lingo enough to feel an effect. She passed some of the men from her Platoon and sat down at an empty table right at the back. Alone.

It was fine, being alone.

Abbey liked it.

She could still hear the odd remark but at least she was alone.

The food in front of her was very odd. It was red and covered this long white stuff, which looked like stained shoelaces. Abbey picked up the bread instead and tore it up into smaller pieces. She ate one little piece at a time, while drinking water from a cup.

This might have been the worst part of camp. Eating in a noisy mess hall.

Back in school and college, she always ate outside.

But here, they had to eat inside, together.

With supper over with, they all headed back to the barracks.

It was Saturday, some of the men headed to PX for a beer.

A few others turned on the radio, Glenn Miller started to play.

Abbey brought out the Hobbit from her footlocker and sat on her bed.

"I ain't talking to her".

"Well, I don't 'wanna either".

"What the hell were they thinking, huh? It's crazy letting a girl in".

She was reading but could still hear every word that was said about her.

But soon enough, the book pulled her into the world of fantasy and adventure.

She wasn't with Easy; she was with Bilbo and the dwarfs.

Abbey was fighting the dragon, saving the day.

In that world, she had many friends but, in this world, she was alone.

The men didn't want to get close with her.

And Abbey couldn't start up a conversation.

So, until lights out, Abbey read the Hobbit and got into bed.

They were submerged in darkness, but the radio still played in the background and men continued to talk. Abbey found comfort in the noise. The low murmurs of chatter, the sound of music playing softly. And despite being in an unfamiliar place, Abbey managed to drift off and fall into a dreamless sleep.

…

Sunday was their only day off, apparently.

Some of the men had a weekend pass and left the camp. But not a lot of them had one, many were revoked from Sobel, she had overheard. Like at supper, Abbey ate breakfast in the back of the mess hall. Breakfast was eggs and toast. They food wasn't touching each other, she managed to eat almost all of it.

With breakfast done, Abbey walked around the camp.

There was a forest, Currahee and fields galore.

The camp stretched far, with many barracks and men scattered around. They didn't bother Abbey, for the most part, she managed to walk around camp without any comments. She wondered off and ended up at the foot of the mountain. Abbey decided to climb up and get a better view of the camp from the top.

It was a smart move; she was familiarising herself for what was to come the next morning. Only tomorrow, she would be expected to run up Currahee and keep up with the men. Abbey liked her walk up, it was peaceful. The sun was high, the sky was blue, and birds were flying passed her, singing songs and chatting.

Camp Toccoa was a long way from home.

Abbey reached the top and sat down, leaning against a stone.

She was starting to miss home now.

The smell of her dad's pipe.

Albert Docks.

And the sound of her mum making breakfast in the morning. Helen would sing songs while she cooked for the family. And she always made the meals just right for Abbey. It wasn't that she was spoiled, it was just the way it was. Abbey had always been like this. Helen would always tell her it wasn't her fault;

_ "your minds just a bit different". _

Which was true, even the doctors couldn't put their finger on it.

Abbey sat up on that mountain for almost an hour, just thinking about home.

Getting back on her feet, she peered over the edge.

The men looked small from up there.

Abbey wondered if they saw her as something small, easily broken.

But her dad always used to tell her;

_ "if you think you can't be broken, then you'll never win". _

Mathew was a smart man. Very wise and a good listener.

Abbey had loving parents. And she was a nightmare.

She started walking down the mountain, stones rolling down when her boot knocked against them. Little puffs of smoke would rise, whenever the earth was disturbed. The terrain was rough, Abbey wondered how her feet and legs would feel running up and down. But she wasn't about to find out on a Sunday.

Abbey reached the camp grounds again.

And standing by the playing field was Lorraine.

When he saw her, he smiled.

"Harrison". Lorraine greeted, "hey – how're you finding things?"

Abbey looked up at him.

He hissed, "what happened to your lip?"

She touched her bottom lip.

"I fell".

Lorraine snorted, "man…'gotta be careful, Harrison. Sobel don't like it when guys fall".

Abbey's eyes wondered towards the playing field.

He followed her gaze, "got a game coming up". He told her, "Able against Dog".

"What's the game?" She asked him quietly.

"Basketball". Lorraine told her, "what? You don't play?"

Abbey shook her head.

"It's a fun game". He said, "you should watch it, might like it, huh?"

His two friends next to Lorraine pulled a face.

"Who the fuck is this?"

"Oh, this here is Harrison". Lorraine told them, "she's fine, don't worry".

"Fine?" He scoffed, "have you lost your damn mind, Lorraine? It's a girl".

"No shit". He rolled his eyes, "no, it's a fucking cat".

Abbey frowned, "I'm not a cat".

"Sarcasm, Harrison".

The other one tutted and shook his head, "it's a stupid fucking cat".

She faced the other way and started to walk away.

Lorraine smirked, "good luck for tomorrow, Harrison! You're 'gonna need it!"

Abbey made it back to the barrack, which wasn't far from where Lorraine was standing.

It was quiet, most of the men were out.

Nelson and his buddies were in, however.

She put her head down and headed for her bed.

But of course, Nelson tripped her again.

This time, her hands saved her fall.

Abbey started to push herself back up, but Nelson placed his boot on her back, forcing her back down on the ground.

"Still here, huh?" He said, "what a disappointment".

She chewed the inside of her cheek.

Nelson's foot pressed down harder against her back.

Abbey let out a little noise, when it started to hurt.

He snorted, "shit – you ain't 'gonna last tomorrow, doll. You'll be out within an hour".

When the barrack door opened, the foot came off her back.

Abbey slowly got back onto her feet.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing, Bill". Nelson responded lightly, "she fell".

He looked over at her.

"Harrison?"

Without turning around, Abbey nodded.

Guarnere was a smart guy. Nelson was lying, she was lying.

He had sisters; he had a mother.

And he wouldn't trip up a girl, it wasn't right.

Guarnere looked at Nelson, "don't fucking do that again".

He laughed through his nose, "what?"

He poked him in the chest, "don't do that again. It ain't fucking right, okay?"

Nelson's face twisted into an angry scowl, "Jesus, Bill. Don't take her side, she'll kill you out there, don't you get it?"

Guarnere looked over at Abbey, who was sitting on the edge of her bed.

She seemed harmless enough.

"She ain't 'gotta prove shit to you, Nelson". He muttered, before moving passed him. "You don't 'wanna get close to her, fine but don't fucking push her around no more, got it?"

Nelson looked passed him and towards Abbey.

"She's still a fucking freak".

Guarnere sighed, "you ain't so pretty yourself, Nelson. And if you ask me, only an asshole would trip up a broad".

Nelson glared at him, "fuck off, Bill".

He snorted, "right…look, we can head out back right now, huh? Sort this out. What'd you say?"

And Nelson didn't.

He remained quiet.

Guarnere nodded, "yeah…that's what I fucking thought".

Abbey picked up her book and opened up the chapter she was on.

Guarnere didn't talk to her but he didn't bother her either.

For the rest of the day, things weren't so bad.


	4. Chapter 3

Monday morning at 0600 hours and Easy were all standing in formation for inspection.

It was warm, men were already sweating from the sun.

And flies were constantly nipping at their skin.

All the men were dressed, lined up.

Everything was neat, cleaned and ready.

Weapons, belts, boots, buckles – everything.

Abbey hadn't been given her rifle yet. And she had never handled a weapon in her life. She didn't know how heavy it was, she didn't know what it sounded like, she only knew what it looked like because the men carried them around.

Last night, their Platoon Sargent had everyone cleaning.

They pressed their uniforms, shinned their boots and made their beds. Sobel would inspect the barracks while they all lined up, but the man hadn't turned up yet, they had been standing outside for a little over an hour and Abbey was beginning to feel restless.

She shifted from side to side.

Her fingers pressed against each other.

And just when she was about to slap away another fly, Sobel rounded the corner with Lieutenant Hester, his executive officer. Everyone stopped fidgeting and straightened themselves up, while Sobel moved down the line, taking in his men.

The man wasn't happy.

"What the hell is this, Private, huh?! You think you can kill with this piece of shit!"

He yelled.

"Rust, Private! You cannot have rust on your rifle – pass revoked!"

It went from zero to one hundred.

Sobel was obviously in a bad mood. He revoked twenty passes from 1st Platoon and marched towards 2nd Platoon. Abbey was in the back, standing behind someone much taller than her. But it was obvious he was looking for her, his eyes scanned the entire Platoon. And not wanting to look like an idiot, Sobel took his failure out on the men.

"You've got dirt behind your ears – pass revoked".

"Mud on your boots – pass revoked".

A further twenty men from 2nd Platoon had their weekend passes revoked.

And it was only Monday morning.

Sobel shook his head, looking at his Company.

He had taken a step back, just so he could glare at every single on of them.

He looked at his men, as if they meant nothing.

"What a shit storm!" He yelled, "everyone – get in your trunks and boots, we're running Currahee! You have five minutes, go!"

Everyone quickly scurried back into their barracks.

Abbey wore her PT gear under her uniform, like most of the men.

It saved a lot of time.

Guys huffed and grumbled about another run, it was a regular thing, apparently.

They ran up that mountain four times a week.

The young man in the bed next to her huffed, while he wiped his boot.

"Asshole". His whispered, "nothings there!"

"We got him on a bad day". That guy, Skip, said. "But he's in a bad mood every day".

The guy next to her, looked her way.

"You're fucking insane for sticking around".

Abbey placed her uniform neatly on the bed.

It wasn't like she had much of a choice, really. The professor said there was nothing left for her in Liverpool, just the dole and failure. And her dad wanted her to try. So, Abbey would try.

But what she found in that run was nothing but pain and exhaustion.

The men were faster and stronger.

Abbey was at the back, trying not to vomit.

Everything was on fire and her feet were aching. Sweat was pouring down her face, which stung her eyes. Even her arms were sore, from the constant effort of moving them back and forth. It was hard, Abbey didn't think she'd ever reach the top of the mountain. She didn't like it, no one liked it. Men were cursing under their breaths, while Sobel yelled;

"hi-ho silver!"

Abbey didn't understand that reference.

"The Japs are 'gonna get you!" He'd also yell.

All in all, it took her almost an hour to reach the top and run back down again.

And strangely enough, Abbey found running down to be a challenge as well.

She was trying not to trip, while her boot got caught up with the stones. And the ground was harder running down, her feet slammed against the rough terrain, causing pain to shoot up and irritate her knees and thighs. And at the bottom, while Abbey was trying to get her breathing back to normal, Sobel had them all running back into camp.

This is where they started their PT training.

Knee-bends, sit-ups, push-ups and pull-ups, named a few.

Sit-ups were fine, until your stomach started to burn.

Push-ups made her arms shake and she could only get to fifteen. The Sargent was yelling at her, pushing her for more. And the yelling got to her, when Abbey felt her arms give way, she remained glued to the ground. This Sargent wouldn't stop screaming at her.

"Private! You get up and give me more, Goddammit!"

She didn't think she could.

Honestly, it might have been too hard.

His hand slammed on the grass, inches from her face.

"You waste of air! Give me more – now!"

Abbey got her hands into position and pushed her body up from the ground.

"Good!" He yelled, "keep going until I tell you to stop! If you stop, you will do this all over again!"

She didn't want to do it all over again, her arms couldn't handle it.

Abbey continued to push herself up and down.

It was at a slower pace, but the Sargent eventually told her to stop.

Her first PT session didn't go very well, Abbey thought.

And by the end of it, she was tired and sore.

Sobel blew the whistle; it was time for breakfast.

Her feet dragged her to the mess hall, while she fell in behind the men.

Abbey wiped the sweat off her face with her t-shirt.

She couldn't even think of a time when she sweated this much or had been this thirsty. All she wanted was water. So, once breakfast was handed to her, Abbey sat at her table and drank every last drop of water in the cup, not even thinking about eating at the moment. Once that was down, she looked at her food. Not knowing what it was, Abbey picked up her fork and started to separate the food.

Being this sore and tired, Abbey longed to be back in her room.

She wanted to curl up in her bed with her books and fall asleep.

Abbey missed her routine.

And now, she had a new routine to follow and get used to.

It was hard, she was finding the change stressful.

But at least Nelson hadn't bothered her yet.

…

"This is your rifle".

Abbey was handed her rifle after breakfast.

"It's an M1 Garand, 30 caliber semi-automatic. The en bloc clip holds eight rounds. When the last of the round is fired, the rifle ejects the clip and locks the bolt open. Put your round in the opening, here".

She stuck the eight rounds on the top of the rifle, where the opening was.

"You've got your sight here; the safety is by the trigger guard".

Lieutenant Nixon was explaining all of this to her.

While the men were getting ready to shoot the targets.

"Get down into position and take the safety off". He told her, "get your sight set to the distance, zero in on your target and then pull that trigger".

Abbey got down with the rest from her Platoon.

Everyone was on their stomachs.

The target was one hundred yards away.

So, she turned the knob to the appropriate range setting.

The targets were sandbags, made to be in the shape of a slightly smaller men.

He had a head and a lower body but no legs or arms.

"Safety off!" Sobel yelled.

Abbey pressed down on the safety catch.

"Ready – fire!"

She didn't get a chance to fire her rifle.

The noise was horrible.

Abbey flinched and her rifle fell on the ground.

She covered her ears, hands shaking slightly.

It was loud but not as loud as those raids back in Liverpool.

"Dammit". Toye hissed, "pick up your rifle – Jesus Christ".

When she didn't do it, Toye grabbed her arm, pulling it away from her ear.

"Get a grip – rifle, come on".

Abbey looked towards her rifle and bit her lip.

She didn't want to; it was too loud.

But Toye was having none of that.

He picked up her rifle and shoved it into her arms.

"Let me tell you, alright". He said, "if Sobel catches you doing that, you've fucking had it. Just do as your told, right?"

Toye left her no choice, Abbey positioned the rifle once more.

He looked back towards the target.

And Sobel told them all to get ready again.

Abbey rubbed her lips together, staring at her target.

If she hit it, then everything would be okay.

"Fire!"

She pressed down on the trigger.

The noise was loud, it penetrated right into her ear and reached her skull. Abbey took in a deep breath, hoping the noise would stop echoing in her head. She might have disliked it, hated it even but Abbey hit the target. She found this out when she eventually looked through her sight, just to check.

The bullet went into the head.

Sandbag man was dead.

Toye gave her a sideways stare.

"Beginners luck".

Abbey didn't care if it was or wasn't, she hit the target. That's all that mattered.

And because she had done it a first time, Abbey had to do it a second time as well.

It was part of that obsessive behaviour. And now, it always had to be perfect.

So, when they moved onto a target two hundred yards away, Abbey was determined to hit the sandbags head once more. She set her sight for the correct distance, got into her position and zeroed in towards the head. When Sobel gave the order to fire, Abbey didn't hesitate. She didn't drop her rifle; she didn't seem bothered by the noise and she got the shot she wanted.

Abbey pulled her rifle back.

Something else filled her stomach, a warm feeling.

She was proud.

Abbey hadn't felt proud of herself before.

The warm feeling stuck around, ever glowing in her stomach. But it left after target practice.

When they entered the mess hall for lunch, Abbey had her tray and was walking over to her table at the back. Someone gave her a push and she fell, right in front of everyone. Men laughed and cheered the guy who had done it, all the while Abbey slowly sat up.

The meal slid down her OD's, dropping into mess on the floor.

It was like being in a nightmare.

With the men laughing and pointing. Abbey eyes looked up.

Of course, it was Nelson.

Her shirt was ruined.

Abbey felt disgusted.

She sat there for a few moments, not knowing what to do.

Nelson looked pleased with himself anyway.

Biting down on her lip, Abbey scooped the food onto her tray.

Grabbing the tray, she got back onto her feet.

The laughter quietened down. And the men started talking again, deciding that nothing else was going to happen. Back in Liverpool, Abbey might have lashed out and screamed the house down. She would have been in a fist fight right about now but this wasn't Liverpool. This was Toccoa and Nelson was big, tall and not some kid.

She didn't stand a chance.

Abbey dumped her food into the bin and left the mess hall.

She headed into the latrines next and took off her shirt.

Running the taps and grabbing the soap, Abbey started to clean the food off.

She was wearing her tank-top, which was safe. Thankfully.

Abbey's hands were shaking, while she scrubbed the sauce off her shirt.

Her mind was racing again.

Eventually, she dropped her shirt into the sink and took a step back.

Breathing heavily, Abbey's hands hovered by her ears.

That couldn't happen again. She couldn't let that happen again.

It was too much; Abbey had spent hours getting her OD's cleaned.

And now, they were ruined.

Clenching her jaw, Abbey turned around and kicked the stall door.

It slammed against the side, creating a giant thud.

Her lips rubbed furiously together, hands now pressing against her ears.

From there, she closed her eyes, breathed deeply and counted backwards from sixty. It was a method her mum told her to use, whenever she felt overwhelmed or upset. Granted, it didn't always work but when it did, Abbey could finish off what she was doing without fail. But sometimes just having her ears covered help as well; it all depended on the situation.

_ Dirty clothes, that's nothing. _

_ Get it washed, it's okay. _

Opening her eyes, Abbey looked towards the running tap.

Slowly, her hands moved away from her ears.

She walked back over to the sink, picked up her shirt and resumed cleaning.

Abbey walked out of the latrines and entered the barrack.

The men had returned from lunch and they had one hour before lectures.

They quietened down, while Abbey walked towards her bed.

She hung up her shirt, hoping it would dry out before lectures. If it didn't, she'd just need to wear a damp shirt. Abbey didn't like wearing wet clothes. But the army didn't care. No one cared, Abbey tried not to as well.

Rubbing her finger tips together, she sat on the edge of her bed.

The men resumed talking again.

The guy who slept in the bed next to her sat down.

Taking the cigarette behind his ear, he lit it up and looked at Abbey.

Exhaling, he lay down on his bed, feet remaining on the ground.

Eventually, he spoke.

"What's your name?"

Abbey's fingers twitched against her knees.

"Abbey Harrison".

He snorted, "Abbey, huh? Where you from, Abbey?"

"Liverpool".

"Limey, huh?"

Her eyebrows pulled together.

He turned his head, facing her.

"I'm Joe Liebgott".

Abbey bobbed her head, "okay".

Liebgott smirked, "right".

Looking over her shoulder, Abbey checked her shirt.

"It ain't 'gonna dry faster with you staring at it". He mumbled quietly.

The damp patch was still there, she grew anxious just staring at it.

Abbey faced the front again.

Though she never met his eyes.

Liebgott sat up, arm stretching above his head.

"How'd you find training, Abbey?" He ended the question with a sigh.

She found a spot on the wall to stare at.

"Fine". She responded.

Liebgott nodded slowly, "that's – that's good".

A silence soon filled the air.

It left Liebgott feeling uncomfortable.

Shaking his head, he got onto his feet.

"Good talk". He muttered, before walking up the strip.

Abbey's eyes moved away from the wall and she watched Liebgott stop by Guarnere's bed.

The two of them started talking lowly with each other.

"Shit, I tried".

Guarnere shrugged, "she's shy".

"Nah, she ain't".

Nelson looked over at them, "I told you. She's a freak".

Liebgott clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, "shut up, Nelson".

Grant cleared his throat, "she can hear you".

Guarnere and Liebgott looked over at her.

Abbey quickly diverted her eyes towards her hands.

Nelson smirked, "and you 'wanna be her friend, huh? You're just as nutty as her".

Guarnere quickly got on his feet, "alright, pal – outside, now".

"Why not in here, Bill?" He sneered, "huh? Let's show your girlfriend how much of a man you are".

"Fuck you, Nelson". He growled, "I'll knock you down to fucking hell".

"Go for it-"

"that's enough".

Lipton said to the pair of them.

"Both of you, sit down and shut up".

Guarnere glared at Nelson still, "this ain't over, pal".

"I'm counting on it, Bill".

"No use in fighting, fellas". Skip added lightly, "Glenn Millers on".

Malarkey turned up the radio, drowning out the tension.

Nelson sat down, Guarnere sat down.

And Abbey remained seated.


	5. Chapter 4

Abbey was seven holes in.

She had seven more to go.

It was stupid really. She lost it and finally had enough of Nelson.

The rain continued to hammer against her back, while she dug the mud out from its home with a crappy little entrenching tool. Abbey had been at it for forty minutes, it was back-breaking work, but this was the sort of punishment Sobel issued her that morning. So, Abbey had to finish it.

And she would.

Abbey always finished what she started, it's how her mind worked.

As of right now, her only obsession was digging up perfect holes.

Six by six by six.

That was the width, length and depth of each hole.

So far, the holes were perfect.

But that morning wasn't so perfect.

They all got up at 0600, Sobel did the inspection and had them all change for Currahee.

Things went fine, Abbey was no longer running at the back.

Now, she was right in the middle with other men.

"Where do we run?!" Sobel yelled.

"Currahee!" They yelled back.

"What's Currahee mean?!"

"We stand alone!"

"How far up, how far down?!"

"Three miles up, three miles down!"

"Now…what Company is this?!"

"Easy Company!" They answered strongly.

"And what do we do?!" Sobel screamed.

"We stand alone!"

Her Platoon Sargent, Diel, who had recently replaced one of the older Army Sargent's, kept on yelling for her to push herself harder and faster. Sobel was tormenting the men at the back, like he usually would. And because Abbey was in the middle, he didn't notice her, not at first.

Running passed her was Nelson.

And like most days, he tripped her up.

Abbey landed on her stomach; face pressed up against the wet mud from the rain. The mud smeared against her skin; she could feel it sticking onto her. Diel yelled for her to get up and keep moving because at any moment, Sobel could turn around and spot her lying in the mud.

She got back onto her feet and wiped the mud from her face as best as she could.

But Abbey was mad.

She tried counting back from sixty, but the mud remained on her face, it covered her t-shirt and her knees. Nelson had once again, ruined her clothes. Diel soon got his wish because Abbey was now sprinting towards the front. It had nothing to do with his encouragement, sadly, this was all down to Nelson and his constant teasing.

And in a heat of rage, Abbey grabbed Nelson's t-shirt and pulled him back.

He landed on the mud, with Abbey hovering above him.

Nelson frowned, confused by her actions.

And then, she was on top of him.

Curling her hand into a fist, she punched him – right on the nose.

Nelson's head fell back against the mud from impact.

And his nostrils started to leak blood.

Abbey punched him again, on the eye this time.

"You arse!" She yelled, "you're a fucking arse!"

A few men stopped running.

And someone grabbed her around the waist, pulling her away from Nelson.

Abbey was still screaming at him, eyes blinded by rage.

She was lashing out still, arms and legs flailing around.

"That's enough!" Guarnere snapped, "hey – stop it!"

Sobel marched right over to them.

His eyes went from Nelson and then to Abbey.

She couldn't hear him screaming, she was still too busy screaming at Nelson.

But his voice suddenly got louder because her screaming died down.

Her body went slack in Guarnere's tight hold.

She exhaled shakily, letting out a tiny groan.

Sobel was red in the face;

"get back and dig me fourteen holes, Private!"

And that's where she ended up, digging holes in the pissing rain.

Abbey focused solely on making these holes perfect.

She didn't think about her actions, Nelson deserved it.

And she didn't feel embarrassed or ashamed. Abbey didn't feel anything; she just wanted those holes to match-up with the rest. And she spent all morning on those holes. When they were completed, Sobel walked over to her.

Abbey was standing by her holes.

"Fill them up!"

For a moment, she flinched at the thought.

The holes were perfect, they matched.

"Now!" Sobel screamed.

Abbey shovelled the first pile of mud back into the hole.

Well, she'd just need to make this part perfect too.

By the end of her punishment, Abbey was soaking wet and covered in mud.

Her arms were tired and sore, she was exhausted and hungry.

It was lunch time and she entered the mess hall as she was, soaked and muddy.

Grabbing a tray, she stood in line and waited to be served.

The cook was about to place the food onto her tray.

But then, he did something brilliant.

He grabbed her tray and separated the food first before handing it over to her.

Abbey blinked down at the neatness of the food.

She looked back up again, finding a spot on the wall.

"Thank you". She whispered, giving a nod.

Abbey didn't say 'thank you', enough.

The cook snorted, "move on".

She walked towards her table; Nelson didn't trip her up and no one made a comment.

Abbey sat down and took a drink of water before picking up her fork.

She started to eat, and it felt amazing going down.

God, she was so hungry.

Which was good, considering she didn't have much of an appetite when she arrived at Toccoa. Her body was getting used to the time zones, her brain was catching up with the routine of getting up at six every morning and moving at double time. And better yet, Abbey didn't mind getting yelled at now.

Because of her obsessive behaviour, Abbey kept everything neat and clean.

Her bed, uniform and weapons. Everything was spotless. From day one, she managed to keep everything shinning. Because back home, in Liverpool, she was already doing that. Sobel would find something, it was mainly her shoelaces, which were never tight enough. But Abbey knew it was fine. The first time it happened, Abbey felt her insides curl up.

"He's making it up". Guarnere had told her, "don't take it personally".

It was just something else which merged into her routine.

"Private Harrison".

The fork hovered above her food.

Abbey slowly looked up.

It was Lieutenant Winters.

Her Platoon leader.

The fork was softly placed down on her plate, next to her vegetables.

Winters gave her a kind smile, while sitting on the bench opposite her.

"Don't worry, you've already been punished. I'm not here to tell you off".

Abbey blinked and looked away from his face.

He continued to smile, and it was a genuine smile.

Warm and comforting.

It matched his light eyes, which held nothing but kindness.

Nonetheless, it was strange having someone sit at her little table.

Abbey's fingers pressed up against each other, eyes now looking down.

"I thought I'd check up on you". Winters went on, "see how you were doing".

Some of the men from the table in front turned around, curiously.

"Fine". Abbey whispered, "sir".

"Oh, good". He responded, "it's good that you managed to reach the front today, Private".

"I – I punched him".

Winters lips twitched a little.

He cleared his throat.

"You did, yeah".

Abbey frowned.

"But like I said". Winters said to her softly, "I'm not here to tell you off".

The heads from the table in front of her looked away.

They got back to their food.

Abbey picked up her fork again, thinking she should do the same.

She didn't know what to say to Winters.

They all respected him a lot, the men looked up to him a great deal.

Winters was the complete opposite from Sobel.

He was fair and only asked for their best. And Winters could only see the best in each of his men and he'd somehow get that out from them, without yelling or screaming, like Sobel. Abbey didn't dislike anyone. She wasn't sure how she felt. But she was glad that Nelson might back off now.

In some respects, Winters was a lot like her dad.

Patient, smart and kind.

Abbey hadn't found someone like her dad before.

And very slowly and hesitantly, her eyes looked up towards his.

Winters smiled again.

Abbey remained staring at him, left fingers rubbing against the table.

"Sorry". She whispered, "sir".

He gave her a little nod, "it's okay, Private".

Eyes moving away from him now, Abbey looked back down at her food.

Smiling still, Winters looked out towards the window.

Her silence wasn't awkward, and he didn't feel uncomfortable.

Though Winters didn't quite understand what was going on with one of his Private's, she seemed harmless enough. He had Diel approach him after Currahee when Abbey was busy digging holes. The Platoon Sargent was worried about her, his main concern lay with her not fitting in and Nelson having problems with her.

Diel didn't have any problems regarding her fitness.

But he did bring up other topics.

She was quiet, kept to herself and didn't talk much.

Nelson called her a freak, but Abbey didn't seem bothered by it.

Winters looked back at her and he got up.

"I'll see you in lectures, Private". He said to her kindly.

Abbey gave him a small nod.

"Sir".

Lectures was like having a rest.

Abbey liked lectures, she was very interested in learning about tactics, how to use a compass, map reading, signalling, codes, field telephones, radio equipment, switchboards, wire stringing and demolitions. Easy would all sit in a large barrack, while a Lieutenant would lecture them in those topics. He'd ask questions from what they learned the previous day, making sure all the men had been paying attention. And he'd quiz them.

Easy were shaping up.

They could now all yell in unison; "yes, sir!" "No, sir!"

And they got drills down pretty fast too.

Abbey realised Easy were trained harder than any other Company.

And after lectures, it was back out for more physical training.

It was a short rest inside the lecture barrack and straight over to the obstacle course. The course was a daunting sight. Bars high above mud, tunnels, ropes and a ten-foot wall. It was used for conditioning the body, it made you stronger and the men had to complete this course within a certain time.

The first time Abbey did the course was surprising.

She was fairly slight, petite.

The tunnels weren't a problem.

Abbey hurt her hands on the rope. They started to burn and blister. But she did make it to the top, eventually. Coming back down from the rope, they headed for the bars. Jumping up, Abbey grabbed onto the first one and started to move forwards. The only thing that kept her going was the fact that if she let go, she'd get covered in mud.

Abbey didn't want that.

The older army Sargent's would yell, scream and scare you to move faster.

This was Abbey's third day when she first did the obstacle course.

And soon, she was faced with the wall.

Abbey observed a few men, who simply ran right at it and tried to jump.

When one didn't reach, he'd end up falling back down.

She noticed the wood on the side of the wall, which held it in place.

Abbey ran over to the wall and walked up the plank of wood.

From there, she placed her foot on the wall, while her hands stretched to reach the top. And she pulled herself up, managing to get one leg over either side. It could have been a challenge getting to the top with a running and jumping start, but Abbey knew she'd fail. And it had to go perfectly.

Her time wasn't great the first time; the rope climb slowed her down.

But at this moment, when her Platoon were getting ready to go.

Abbey would aim for better.

Sobel blew the whistle and they were off.

Tunnels, fine.

Abbey was small, she slipped right inside no bother.

Emerging from the other side, they soon ran towards the ropes.

"Remember, Harrison!" Diel told her, "use your legs and feet!"

Abbey did remember that, she didn't want to hurt her hands again.

The rope climb went much smoother this time around because her upper-body strength had improved a great deal. She reached the top and came back down quickly. The bars were next, which again, was easier this time around because her muscles were getting used to being, well, used. Before this, Abbey didn't do much exercise at all.

She was good at running away but that was about it.

Diel smiled at her, "good job, Private!"

Abbey blinked and almost stopped running.

Guarnere gave her a gentle push on the back, "keep going, Abbey!"

She resumed running and came out from momentary shock.

_ "Good job, Private!" _

Abbey felt that warm feeling bubble up inside of her once again.

A sense of proudness washed away temporary doubt.

She kicked it up a gear and pushed herself harder, reaching that wall in no time. Using the same strategy, Abbey was soon up and over that wall. While on the top, she saw Nelson grab onto the top and fall shortly after. He cursed and tried again.

Abbey grabbed his arm.

Nelson looked at her.

He was heavy, so, he quickly pulled himself up, with Abbey's help.

When he was up, Abbey was soon levelling herself down and she reached the bottom.

Nelson and Abbey sprinted towards the finish line.

They completed the course in under three minutes.

Nelson could have said plenty.

But he only said;

"thanks".

Very quietly, mind you.

Liebgott smirked, "ain't a freak now, huh, Nelly?"

"Shut up, Lieb".

Abbey placed her hands on her hips, eyes staring back at the wall.

"You're welcome". She mumbled quietly, "Nelly".

Liebgott laughed.

Nelson stared at her and he could have gotten angry, he could have pushed her.

But he didn't, he laughed instead.


	6. Chapter 5

Every Friday night, Easy did a forced march.

Each week, Sobel added miles.

This week, it was fifteen.

They wore all their gear and weren't allowed to drink from their canteens. Water discipline. Which they were getting used to by now because no one was drinking water up Currahee. But after a full week of training, doing a march was exhausting. Men would often fall asleep standing, the guy behind him would poke his back.

The marches were quiet. The only sound were their boots, which clapped in unison.

A lot of men lost money.

It was week two and Abbey was still around.

Though they didn't talk much with one another, she somehow managed to stick it out and remain training with Easy. Sobel would punish her, Nelson used to hate her guts but very slowly, Abbey managed to worm her way into the Company. She was no longer being tripped up; the men didn't make any comments. Not from Easy anyway, the same couldn't have been said about the other Companies.

But the mess hall was still the worst part of her day.

Abbey got used to how loud things were, and the cook would separate her food.

But she still ate alone, on the table at the very back.

On a Saturday morning, Sobel would go around for inspections.

There, he'd revoke weekend passes.

It was cruel, he'd revoke a pass for any little thing. And the men were bound to the camp all weekend, after looking forward to getting out and hitting the local town. Some got lucky, they escaped and came back on Sunday, where they had to be there at a certain time. Sobel would be waiting for them, standing by their barracks.

It was best not to get your hopes up for a weekend pass, the men learned that earlier on. Abbey didn't mind, she wouldn't leave the camp anyway. Her bed and barrack had become her room, a nice quiet place in the back. She spent most of her time reading.

With inspections over, they headed for breakfast.

Abbey sat at her table and cut up her food.

But then, she heard a tray drop in front of her.

The fork was placed on her plate.

Abbey looked up a little.

"Mind if I join you?"

Fingers rubbing against one another, Abbey shook her head.

The young man smiled softly and sat down opposite her.

The pair of them remained quiet.

Abbey picked up her fork again and started to eat slowly.

She didn't know who this guy was, he wasn't from her Platoon.

Slowly, she peaked at the name across his chest.

_ Blithe_. It read, in stitched letters.

"You're Abbey, right?"

He had a quiet voice. Music to her ears.

Like someone playing the piano softly.

Abbey nodded.

"I'm Albert Blithe". He said to her, "friends call me Ably".

Blithe had light hair and blue eyes. He appeared gentle, friendly.

And quiet, like her.

"Fellas say you're from Liverpool". He uttered softly, "I heard about the Blitz on the radio".

Abbey blinked, a little shudder going through her body.

Blithe frowned, looking at her.

"I'm sorry". He whispered, "I – uh – it must have been rough".

Abbey rubbed the fingers from her left hand against the table.

It was rough.

Blithe decided to change the topic quickly.

"I got my pass revoked". He told her, "Sobel could put his fingers behind my shirt by my neck". Blithe shook his head gently, "said the same about Bud, too".

Looking up, Abbey's eyes went over his shoulder.

"Oh". She whispered.

Blithe's lips pulled up into a smile, "but it's fine, you know? I didn't have plans".

Abbey bobbed her head.

"Right". She mumbled.

"I mean, some of the guys were talking about a bar, get some girls". Blithe continued to talk quietly to her, "but I didn't 'wanna do that anyway. It's nice staying in sometimes".

Albert Blithe was born on the 25th of June 1923, one year older than Abbey.

He was born and raised in Philadelphia and he arrived in Toccoa at roughly the same time as Abbey, August the 18th. His parents were Joseph and Emma. Blithe was an only child but he had a lot of aunts and uncles from his mother's side and two grandparents, Benjamin and Emma Magnin. His best friend in the Company was William Dukeman, or Bud, as he went by.

Abbey found all this out without even asking.

And a part of her wanted to know.

Blithe told her anyway because he figured he knew where she was from, why not share? And he couldn't remember ever talking this much with someone, who didn't respond. It was nice because Abbey was listening. Blithe didn't know how but he could just tell she was hanging onto every word.

With her meal and water finished.

Abbey grabbed and tray and got up.

Her hands gripped onto the tray tightly.

Blinking a few times, she soon met Blithe's stare.

"Thank you". Abbey whispered, "that was…nice".

Smiling, he nodded.

"Anytime, Abbey".

She walked back towards the barrack alone, planning on reading for the rest of the day.

The men who didn't have a weekend pass would drink at the PX.

Or, Skip and Malarkey would have the radio on inside the billet.

Abbey liked having music on, she loved music.

Her dad played the trumpet, her mum played the piano.

They were both very talented.

And like Helen, Abbey learned to play the piano. She could learn a song by ear, much like her Grandmother, who was no longer with them. She died shortly after Abbey was born but Helen would often fondly speak about her.

It had been raining overnight, the ground was muddy and slippery.

So, when she fell, Abbey blamed the mud first.

But soon, someone rolled her onto her back.

It was a guy she hadn't seen before; he must have been from another Company.

He had two friends behind, keeping watch.

"Hurry it up – come on". One of them hissed.

The guy on top of her sneered, "you Limey bastard – get the fuck out of here".

Abbey was covered in red and wet mud.

The guy on top of her was angry.

She didn't understand why her being from England made him so angry.

They were fighting the same war; they were on the same side.

The guy got off her, he hurried away with his friends.

Abbey sat up, watching them quickly round the corner.

She looked down at her OD's, they were filthy.

Her breathing sped up, while she got onto her feet.

Mud dripped down, splattering against the ground.

She could feel it press up against her skin.

Abbey quickly walked up to her barrack and opened the door.

It slammed against the side.

The men inside looked her way.

"What the fuck happened to you?" Liebgott asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lowering her eyes, she walked over to her bed.

Abbey collected her nightclothes; which she'd need to wear until her OD's were dry enough to put on. That guy had just ruined her entire day. The world could be ending, she didn't blame it, this was a disaster.

Liebgott got onto his feet.

He watched her rush around, snatching her nightclothes up from her bed.

"Abbey?" He tried again, "what happened?"

Malarkey turned down the volume, Billie Holiday was put on hold.

Abbey's free hand hovered by her ear.

Skip blew out the smoke from his mouth.

He looked her way, "that's easily washed".

Abbey shook her head.

"Bit of soap, huh?" Skip went on lightly, "good as new".

Her eyes darted across the room.

Moving quickly, from side to side.

She spotted a comic strip on Liebgott's bed.

How did that get in here?

"Flash Gordon". Liebgott told her, when he saw what held her attention. "You 'wanna see it?"

Abbey continued to stare at the comic.

She then shook her head, looking towards the door, which was still wide open.

He smiled a little, "maybe later, huh?"

Abbey left the barrack and cleaned her OD's inside the latrines.

She used warm water and soap; the mud came off.

In her nightclothes now, Abbey placed her clothes around the pot-belly stove, which Liebgott had put on for her, so her clothes would dry quicker. She sat on her bed and brought out Peter Pan. Abbey placed the book close to her chest, shoulders moving up slightly, as if she was giving the book a little hug.

Opening the page, she started to read.

Her mind went into another world.

Safe, once again.

With Abbey content, Liebgott picked up his comic, lit up a cigarette and lay down on his bed. Skip and Malarkey sat back by the radio, turning up the volume once again. A few others joined them moments after, Lipton, Toye and Guarnere.

The fire was on, Abbey's clothes were drying.

No one asked. But Guarnere assumed she had been pushed.

He looked around at the guys, who were doing their own thing.

And then Nelson walked into the barrack.

Guarnere grabbed his collar, pinning him up against the wall.

"What did I fucking tell you?" He hissed, "stop pushing her around".

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nelson asked, with a frown of confusion. "I didn't fucking touch her, Bill. Me and Abbey are cool now".

Guarnere searched his eyes for a lie.

Lipton placed a hand on his shoulder, "let him go, Bill". He said, "I think he's telling the truth".

He let him go.

"Then who did it?"

Toye shrugged, "shit, Bill. I don't know".

Guarnere looked over at Abbey, who seemed fine.

She was doing what she always did during their down time; reading.

"Craps?" Toye offered.

Malarkey raised his head, "someone say craps?"

"Ease off, bullshit". He said, "I ain't playing with you. I'll have nothing left".

Skip grinned, "I'll play you".

Malarkey smirked, "Skipper, you're the worst craps player I know".

"Someone's 'gotta lose, Don". He said lightly, "may as well be me".

"I'll shoot some craps". Guarnere was in, "let's head out, come on".

Craps was a dice game, which Abbey later found out within her first week.

She had other ideas when the men would say;

"let's shoot some craps".

…

Hand to hand combat was strange.

Sobel would pair them up and they had to fight each other.

No one wanted to be paired up with Abbey.

For one, she was a girl.

And two, she was small. It would be like fighting a kid. But Sobel was going to love this because the men hated it and Abbey wasn't too keen on things either. So, standing before his Company, Sobel paired off each man. And soon, it was Abbey and Roy Cobb.

Cobb hated it; his eyes almost rolled to the back of his head.

No gloves were issued, no mouth guard.

It was every man for himself.

The first pair were standing in the circle.

Guarnere and Nelson.

Which was perfect, tension between them was thick anyway.

Each man did well during their spar.

They put up a good and exciting fight for the men, egging them on.

Sobel would stand by the other officers, making the odd comment.

And the fight would end when Sobel blew his whistle.

Sometimes, it got so intense, that the officers would have to pull them back.

When it was Abbey's turn to enter the circle, the men stiffened.

A few of the officers even grimaced a little.

But Sobel was correct about one thing;

"Private Cobb, she is the enemy. That is all she is to you".

Abbey felt awkward; she didn't know where to put her hands at first.

But her mind wondered back to Toye, who was probably the best at sparring.

His hands were by his face for the first part.

So, she put her hands up.

One foot was behind, the other was forward.

Abbey hunched down a little, protecting herself.

Cobb got into a similar position.

Sobel blew the whistle, "begin!"

It was so quiet; you could have heard a mouse run by.

No one was egging them on, and Cobb didn't move.

It was like he was glued to the floor.

He didn't want to fight her, which was bad news for both of them.

Abbey mulled things over in her head.

She needed to assure him that it was okay, that Abbey had been in fights with the opposite gender before, but she couldn't vocally tell him that. So, taking a tiny step forward, Abbey aimed low and punched his side.

Cobb let out a puff of air, staring at her.

Abbey took a step back, giving him a nod.

Taking in a deep breath, Cobb clenched his jaw.

Now, they would fight.

They both charged at each other at the same time.

Cobb was going for her face.

Abbey quickly dove for the ground and skidded under his legs.

He pulled a face when she suddenly vanished.

Abbey quickly got back up; PT gear covered in dry red mud.

She rubbed her face with her arm.

"Alright, you little shit". Cobb mumbled, turning back around to face her.

Abbey got into a defensive stance once more.

He took the first step, raising his right hand.

She moved to block him, but he quickly came up with his left fist, getting her in the side of her jaw. Abbey's face was forcefully pushed to the right. She blinked a few times, when water stung her eyes from impact and surprise.

She didn't see that coming.

Abbey quickly composed herself.

She jabbed him in the side again.

Cobb doubled over a little and his head was low enough for Abbey to punch him.

She got his right cheek.

He spat blood out onto the ground.

Abbey moved back a little.

Cobb raised his head and walked over to her.

Then his pace quickened, and his arms went around her waist, slamming her onto the ground. Abbey landed with a thud, dust pushing up in the air. She didn't like being on the ground, Abbey kneed him in the stomach and pushed him off.

She quickly got back onto her feet, waiting for him to get back up.

Cobb placed his hands on the ground, pushing himself up.

The men watching started to get into the fight now.

They cheered, egging them both on.

But the sudden noise startled Abbey.

Her position dropped; Cobb's fist slammed from under her chin.

She fell on the ground and felt her ears ring.

Abbey's open remained open, while her hands gripped onto the red mud.

Closing her mouth, she clenched her jaw.

The pain was intense.

But Sobel didn't blow the whistle.

Pushing herself up, Abbey spat out a few droplets of blood.

She staggered on her feet, body swaying slightly.

The men went a little quiet, with only the odd cheer of encouragement.

Cobb looked at her, wondering if he should just end it and knock her out.

But Abbey was no longer swaying, and she was back in position.

Sighing, Cobb approached her.

He took a swing, she blocked it.

She took a swing, which was blocked.

This went on for a few moments, the men started to egg them on again because the fight was getting slow and less exciting. Abbey just wanted this to be perfect. That undercut almost had her sleeping on the ground. She figured she'd try the same punch with Cobb. But he had a bag of experience under his belt, Abbey didn't know that.

When she tried to do the undercut, Cobb caught her.

His fist slammed against her cheek, sending her to the ground.

Cobb felt himself sigh, thinking she was knocked out.

But no, Abbey was back on her feet.

Blood trickled out from the side of her mouth.

And she was back in the position to fight.

Frowning, Cobb looked over at the officers.

Sobel had his arms crossed over his chest, nowhere near the whistle.

He didn't plan on stopping this fight, not at the moment.

But Cobb looking over at Sobel, gave Abbey the perfect opportunity.

She got her undercut.

Cobb fell to the ground, but he wasn't knocked out. He was on his back, eyes slightly hazed. Abbey waited for him to get back up, knuckles bruised and sore. But Cobb didn't get back up right away because Sobel blew his whistle and the fight ended.

Abbey dropped her position and walked over to Cobb.

He was lying on the ground still, looking at her.

"Good fight, Harrison".

Not looking at him, she extended her hand towards him.

Cobb cleared his throat and took her hand.

Abbey gave him a pull up, while he used his free hand to push himself onto his feet.

He chuckled softly, while the earth did a little spin.

"Nice undercut".

Releasing his hand, Abbey rubbed her cheek.

"Sorry about that". Cobb mumbled.

"I don't care". She uttered quietly, before walking off.

When Abbey reached her Platoon, Liebgott grinned and ruffled her hair.

"Good job, Abbey". He said brightly, "that was a good fight".

"Yeah, you almost had him". Guarnere added, clenching his hand. "Almost got old Nelly".

Nelson snorted, "shut up, Bill".

"Hey!" He laughed, slapping Nelson's arm. "Water under the bridge, pal".

"I told you Abbey was good". Nelson said, "I've been punched by her before".


	7. Chapter 6

When Sobel was promoted to Captain, the first thing he did was punish his men.

For no typical reason. He just knew he could do it.

Easy were sitting in the mess hall, eating spaghetti.

Abbey was at her usual table with Blithe sitting opposite her, telling her stories from home. Which made Abbey think of home. She thought about her mum first, missing that attachment and then the smell of her dad's tobacco from his pipe. But most of all, Abbey missed the Docks.

It was very strange for Abbey. She didn't dislike anyone, not even Sobel. Having feelings towards someone was difficult for her. She liked her mum and dad, Abbey probably loved them both, more than she knew. Which was why making friends was hard because she didn't understand the process of making a friend or keeping one.

Blithe sat opposite her because he liked Abbey and enjoyed her company.

He never told her that and even if he did, it would probably sound silly because the girl rarely talked back to him. But there was something nice about being around Abbey, which Blithe was drawn towards. And for almost a week now, Blithe had sat opposite her in the mess hall. He'd talk, she'd listen, and they'd have long pauses of comfortable silence.

They were promised lectures and light drills after lunch.

And that promise was broken.

Sobel came barging into the mess hall, 1st Sargent Evans by his side.

"Orders changed, get up!" He yelled, "Easy Company is running up Currahee!"

Everyone was on their feet and headed out the door.

They stripped off their OD's, PT gear underneath.

Dread lay heavy in their stomach, as well as that polished off spaghetti meal.

It was an absolute nightmare.

Running on a full stomach was something Abbey hadn't experienced before but apparently; Sobel had done this before. It's not that Easy fell for it, the last incident was pushed to the back of their minds because training took over and the trauma vanished.

Men started to puke but they didn't stop running.

Sobel would toy them with the idea of an ambulance ride.

Which if they accepted, they'd be washed-out. So, they had to keep running, despite the vomit, the pain and the heavy feeling of running with a full stomach – they kept going. Abbey didn't understand, there was no logic behind this exercise. Why would Sobel do this to them? How did this improve anything?

If anything, puking just left you feeling worse.

Did Sobel just want them to suffer?

Abbey didn't like it; she didn't like the feeling of food sloshing around in her belly. And she didn't like the feeling of it coming back up her throat. She leaned forwards a little, food spurting out from her mouth. It went down her t-shirt, down her legs and boots. It was horrible. She was a mess. Her clothes were ruined. But she vomited again, Abbey wasn't thinking about her clothes anymore. She just didn't want to get sick again.

Abbey wiped her arm over her mouth.

"Keep going". A voice said from behind her.

She looked up; it was Winters.

But the surprise didn't end there, Luz started up a song.

And soon, everyone was singing along.

It was a song they often sung up Currahee.

Abbey couldn't sing, she was too busy coughing and trying not to get sick again.

_ "We pull upon the risers; we pull upon the grass. _

_ We never land upon our feet, we always hit our ass. _

_ Highty-Tighty, Christ almighty, who the hell are we? _

_ Zim-zam Goddamn, we're the airborne infantry!" _

But she managed to stop her body from rebelling against her.

And for the first time, Abbey sang along.

_ "We never land upon our feet, we always hit our ass". _

Guarnere's lips twitched up into a smile when he heard her singing next to him.

_"Highty-tighty, Christ almighty, who the hell are we? _

_ Zim-zam, Godamn, we're the airborne infantry!" _

With the miserable run over, they headed back and cleaned themselves up.

Abbey was lying on top of her blanket, staring up at the ceiling.

Her PT clothes were hanging up with the others, around the pot-belly stove. The fire crackled and popped, almost lulling her off to sleep. Abbey was hard at it though, she was thinking about Sobel and trying to place him. Abbey didn't like it when he screamed, she didn't like his forms of punishment and she didn't think he was a nice person.

But where did he fit for her?

The men didn't like him, not one bit.

They thought he was cruel, petty and a straight up chicken-shit.

Sobel used his rank before anything else. But he would never talk to the way he spoke to his men, towards anyone else outside of the Company. Basically, he did things because he could. Using his power to fill up that ego. And he might have pushed them hard physically and they might have hated it now but out in combat, it would come in use.

They weren't thinking that at the time, however.

Sobel was an ass, end of story.

Abbey sat up, leaning against her elbows.

Lipton was hanging up his t-shirt and trunks in front of the pot-belly stove.

A few of the men had their eyes closed, resting after that ordeal.

The door soon opened, and Allen Vest walked in.

"Hey, fellas". He greeted, "got some mail".

The mood was lifted.

Everyone was now on their feet, walking over to Vest, who took a step back.

"Hey – easy, come on".

The men were handed their mail, smiling while they looked at the envelope.

Abbey eyes wondered over to Vest; she was staring at his hand.

"Harrison, for you".

Getting up, she walked over to Vest and took the letter.

"Thank you".

Abbey whispered, while walking back to her bed.

He smirked, "yeah, no problem".

Sitting on the edge and facing the wall, Abbey carefully opened the envelope.

This was her first ever letter from home.

She unfolded the letter and neatly pressed it against her thighs.

_ "Abbey, _

_ I hope you're settling in well over in America and I hope the men are treating you nicely. _

_ Things have been quiet in Liverpool; people are building up their houses and shops again. We don't expect another raid from the Krauts, but we cross our fingers and pray to God that it doesn't happen again all the same. _

_ I miss you more than you'll ever know, Abbey. And I wish we left things on better terms. But know that we love you, even if packing your suitcase was stressful. When you left, I didn't stop crying all day, Abbey. Your dad was even a little emotional, he misses you dearly. Abbey, I understand if things are different over there, but I know you'll do fine and you'll get used to it. And if you get scared, that's okay but I sometimes get scared of the thought of you fighting in a war. _

_ You might find writing a letter back hard, so, I won't expect one in return. _

_ But know that we love you, with all our hearts. And know that I miss you, every second of the day. Abbey, you were my greatest surprise and I'll always thank God for bringing you into our lives. _

_ Love you to the moon, _

_ Mum". _

Rubbing her lips together, Abbey folded up the letter and put it carefully inside the envelope.

She placed the letter towards her chest, when she suddenly felt cold.

Abbey swallowed, staring intently at the wall.

It was a surprise; she wasn't expecting to get a letter.

And Abbey didn't expect to feel this way after reading one.

After such a shit run up Currahee, feeling weak from vomiting, getting that letter, it was like a punch to the gut. Abbey thought she might have gotten sick again. And her head couldn't process it, these feelings swirling around inside of her.

They missed her.

Abbey couldn't understand why.

Liebgott got up and placed a sheet of paper and pencil on her bed.

"You should write back". He told her.

Her eyes remained glued to the wall.

Liebgott sighed, "or don't – doesn't matter".

Liverpool was rebuilding itself after the blitz, they were moving on.

Abbey's fingers twitched; the envelope shifted.

She set it aside and turned around, grabbing the sheet of paper and pencil.

Picking up her book, Abbey placed it on her lap and used Peter Pan as a table.

_ "Mum". _

_ She wrote down, in messy handwriting. _

_ "Hello. I am fine. Please don't be sad and please don't miss me. It doesn't give me a good feeling. The men are fine too. They're very strong and fast. Lieutenant Winters reminds me of dad. _

_ I miss Albert Docks and my room. But I'm fine. I eat meals with Blithe and I run up a mountain four times a week. I shot a rifle and I hit the sandbags head and I always aim for the head. A few times I dig holes because Captain Sobel likes to punish us. When I lie in bed, Malarkey and Skip have the radio on all night and the men talk quietly. _

_-Abbey". _

It was a short letter, very brief and to the point.

But it was the best she could do.

Folding the paper up, she reached behind her and grabbed the envelope.

After writing down her address, Abbey got up and placed her letter on top of everyone else's, which were ready to be posted. Her parents wouldn't get her letter for at least a week. But they'd get one all the same, which would surprise them.

Abbey sat back down on her bed and read her book for the rest of the day.

…

"Abbey, can you do me a favour?"

Her eyes slowly looked up from her rifle, which she was cleaning.

It was Saturday, inspections were over, and Sobel claimed her rifle was dirty.

"Can you give this to Bill?" Diel asked, handing Abbey a pack of cigarettes. "I've got a pass out of here and they'll only want me to stick around".

The packet of Lucky Strikes was now placed into her hands.

Abbey got onto her feet and gave him a nod.

The Staff Sargent smiled, "alright, good – thanks. He's at PX".

She stilled.

Abbey had avoided PX, it was loud in there.

But Diel didn't know that about her.

He was just excited to be getting out of camp for the weekend.

Diel grabbed his jacket, "see you around, kid".

The door closed; Abbey looked down at the packet of cigarettes.

She gripped them a little too tightly in her hands but never crushed the goods.

It was an order.

Abbey was beginning to learn the importance of following orders; thanks to Sobel.

So, she'd just have to do it.

Leaving the barrack, Abbey gently closed the door behind her.

PX wasn't far, just a few minutes down camp.

Abbey followed the muddy path, she could already hear the loud chatter, laughter and music coming from inside. It reminded her of when she was a small child and she'd be standing outside a kid's birthday party, refusing to go inside. Helen just wanted her daughter to be happy and managed to get her into one party.

Abbey hated it.

She screamed, lashed out and Helen quickly escorted her outside.

Now, her mum wasn't around.

Abbey had to do this alone.

When she reached the barrack, her fingers gently touched the doorknob.

The door suddenly pulled back; Abbey stumbled backwords.

A few guys, who were drunk, staggered outside, laughing.

The door closed again; the noise was muffled.

Abbey placed her fingers back on the doorknob.

Heart racing, breathing picking up; she grasped the doorknob and opened the door.

A wave of beer and smoke reached her senses.

The noise of men talking and laughing echoed into her head.

Abbey stood by the entrance; the door closed behind her.

Through the sea of men, all of which who were from 2nd Battalion, Abbey tried to spot Corporal Guarnere. But she was small, and many bodies were inside this barrack. Her eyes darted from one place to another; so much was going on. Men played cards, darts, they drank from bottles, they stumbled, and they laughed. A few were arguing over a girl, a few were complaining about training.

It was a lot.

And she couldn't find Guarnere anywhere.

Abbey was breathing heavily now and fast. She was panting, as if she had just double-timed up Currahee. She could hear her own heartbeat, which drummed inside her ears. That, along with the loudness of the PX barrack, Abbey ended up dropping the cigarettes.

She blinked again.

Abbey reached down and picked them up.

And for a moment, she just stayed down there.

Something knocked into her and she was sitting on the ground now, back pressed up against the wall. Abby rubbed her lips together, staring down at the cigarettes. It was frustrating, she couldn't understand why she was like this sometimes. It would have been so easy for someone to walk in, get a beer and join in with all the fun. To them, that was normal. And for her, with how she acted, that was her normal because it's all she ever knew.

_ Sixty…fifty-nine…fifty-eight…fifty-seven…_

Abbey started counting back.

She closed her eyes during this process.

The noise started to fade, going back to its normal level.

It worked.

Abbey opened her eyes.

And she soon spotted Guarnere, who was sitting at the table with Martin and Lipton.

Getting onto her feet, her knees felt a little weak still.

Abbey placed a hand on the wall, fingers drumming against the wood.

She couldn't believe it – she was inside.

And she felt okay.

Well, now she did.

Pursing her lips, Abbey let go of the wall and took a step forward.

_ It's okay, it's fine. It's just sound._

Biting her bottom lip, she took another step.

And someone knocked against her arm, but it didn't bother her.

Abbey had to give these cigarettes to Guarnere.

It was an order and it had to go right.

And she reached the table, managing to carefully avoid the men around her.

Lipton was the first to notice her.

He smiled, "Abbey?"

Guarnere looked up from his bottle.

"Jesus Christ, kid". He said, "didn't expect to see you here".

Blinking, she looked down at the cigarettes in her hand and placed them on the table.

Guarnere followed her movements.

He grinned, "hey! I didn't think Diel would ever give me these back".

Martin looked at her, with a tiny smirk.

"You want a drink, kid?"

Abbey shook her head.

No, she had spent enough time inside PX.

But she did it.

That warm feeling pooled in her stomach again.

Proudness. And this time, Nelson couldn't take that away from her and Abbey let it sit there for a while and she remained standing in PX, eyes looking everywhere, like an excited puppy. She could see why the men were so happy inside the barrack, they had beer, music and friends.

Guarnere resumed his conversation about Frannie, his girl.

"Like I was saying, fellas…that girl is a sweetheart, huh?"

"Sure is, Bill". Lipton said, "you're lucky".

Abbey bobbed her head, "skirt".

Frowning, Guarnere looked at her.

"What?"

She rubbed her lips together.

"Frannie wears a skirt…in the photo".

Martin huffed out a laugh, "she does…huh, Bill?"

"You bet, Johnny". Guarnere told him, "and don't she look beautiful".

Abbey's eyes softened a little.

"Yes". She mumbled. "She does".

Lipton shook his head.

That's the most he'd heard her talk.

Guarnere pulled out a chair, "sit down for a moment, Abbey".

Eyes moving away from the darts game, she complied and sat down.

Abbey pressed her fingers against the table.

"Sure you don't want a drink, kid?" Martin asked her, "I'm buying".

She looked towards the bottle of beer.

Abbey wondered what it tasted like; she'd never had it before.

Guarnere smirked, pushing his bottle towards her.

"Go on, take a drink".

Lifting one hand off the table, Abbey picked up the bottle.

It was still cold; she could feel icy water against her skin.

Slowly, her lips touched the entrance.

Abbey could already taste the bitterness from the beer.

But she took her first sip anyway.

The three of them watched her, eager to hear what she had to say.

Unfortunately, Abbey never made a comment.

The bottle was down on the table, she pushed it towards Guarnere.

It wasn't a nice taste, but it was refreshing.

"I will have one". Abbey whispered.

Martin grinned and got up, "coming right up, Abbey".

Guarnere was slightly pleased with himself.

He got her to stick around and take a drink.

Lipton snorted, "hey, Bill?"

"What?"

"Don't look so smug, huh?"

Guarnere grinned, arms crossing against his chest.

"What can I say, Lip? I got this charm about me".

The afternoon picked up when Abbey had her first beer.

That warm feeling stuck around.

Lipton, Martin and Guarnere talked about home and bitched about Sobel. They swore a lot; they laughed a lot and the three of them lightened up the room. Abbey was listening in, hanging onto every word they said. She was a good listener, they had to give her that.

"…Earnest can't write or read; I don't hear much from him…".

"…Pat tried to send me over a bottle of whiskey…".

"…me and Marie almost fell right into the water, that boat was rocking…".

Abbey listened to their stories.

She drank the beer and for a moment, it almost felt normal.

"So, Abbey". Guarnere turned to her, "what's Liverpool like?"

She didn't want to talk about home.

But Abbey could talk about the docks.

"It smells like salt".

Martin laughed, "y-yeah?"

Abbey nodded.

"You live close to water?" Lipton asked.

"I live in Madryn Street". She mumbled, "the raids didn't harm…our house".

Guarnere grimaced, "yeah, shit – the Blitz, huh?"

Abbey stared at a spot on the wall.

"It was loud". She said, "the Krauts bombed the air raid shelter. They killed a lot of people. Liverpool is a dark city at night. We don't have street lamps".

Martin shook his head, "fucking Krauts".

She paused for a moment.

Abbey looked towards her bottle again.

"It's like when they bombed Pearl Harbour". Lipton said quietly, "we didn't expect it".

"All over the fucking radios". Guarnere said, "all the broads were crying".

She titled her head to the side.

"Why did they cry?" Abbey whispered.

"Cause they knew we was heading off to war". He grumbled, "and we all just wanted to enlist and fight".

Abbey didn't want to fight when she arrived.

But she wanted to now.


	8. Chapter 7

Two days leading up to Thanksgiving, 2nd Battalion packed their gear for a two-day field exercise. Major Strayer wanted his men to preform an attack in a defensive position and introduce them to K rations. Strayer was almost as fanatic as Sobel. While Colonel Sink let his men relax and feast over the holiday.

Rifles and gear packed away, Easy moved out.

2nd Battalion formed a column, while they marched into the woods.

It was cold, the weather was miserable and showered them with rain.

Abbey shuddered a little.

Her clothes were starting to get wet now.

Moving deeper into the woods, Sobel ordered everyone to dig in.

So, with their entrenching tools, they dug foxholes.

Her roommate that night was Liebgott, who slept in the bed beside her.

He picked her, for whatever reason.

Abbey didn't mention it, she never would.

When the foxhole was complete and it was very neat, because Abbey wanted it to be perfect. Liebgott almost snapped, she was taking too long. But the wait was worth it, she had created the perfect hole for them to sleep in.

The only problem was, her uniform was muddy.

Abbey's eyebrows twitched, when she looked at the state of her clothes.

Liebgott snorted, finding it a little amusing.

"Abbey". He said, "it's fine, we don't have inspection".

Liebgott was right, their OD's were supposed to be covered in mud.

This was a field exercise.

So, with that in mind, the pair of them sat in their foxhole.

Winters came around his Platoon, handing out the rations.

He gave Liebgott and Abbey a box each.

"Enjoy". He remarked, a hint of sarcasm lingering in the air.

Liebgott smiled, "thank you, sir".

Abbey gave a tiny nod.

"Thank you, sir". She whispered.

Smiling, Winters got up and handed out the rest.

Sighing, Liebgott opened his box.

"What have we got…stew, crackers, candy and – what the hell is this?"

Abbey looked over at his hand.

He was holding up a little paper bag.

Liebgott stared at it, reading what was written on the bag.

"Lemon flavoured". He muttered, tearing the packet open.

Liebgott poured out a little bit of powder in his hands.

"What the fuck do I do with this shit?"

Abbey reached towards her belt and brought out her canteen.

She took the packet from Liebgott, unscrewed her canteen and poured in the contents. Screwing her cap back on, she gave her canteen a shake. All the while, Liebgott watched her with a frown, highly confused.

Abbey unscrewed the cap again, handing her canteen to him.

"You want me to drink it?" He asked, canteen now in his hands.

She nodded.

Liebgott sighed, "well – alright".

He took a sip, eyes lightening up.

"Oh, shit". Liebgott said lightly, "it tastes like juice".

Abbey bobbed her head.

"Yes". She mumbled, "powdered fruit juice".

"Huh". Liebgott was pleasantly surprised, "tastes good, Abbey".

It wasn't fully night yet, but the sky was growing darker.

Abbey could still see the trees in front of her, and heads poking up from the foxholes around her. They hadn't been in this part of the forest before. The trees were thicker here, fir trees. The branches looked prickly, like a Christmas tree. They were very tall and surrounded them, in their part of the forest.

This was Abbey's first time sleeping outdoors.

She hadn't even been camping before.

It was quiet, the rain tapped against the branches and created a song on their helmets. It didn't bother her, not in the slightest, Abbey liked the sound of rain. And it was so easy to fall under a sense of security when she heard the sound of rain. But it sounded a lot better when Abbey was inside, with the drops knocking on her bedroom window.

"You want the rest?"

Abbey shook her head.

Liebgott gave her his canteen.

"Well, here. Have my water". He said, "it don't got lemon in it".

"Why?"

Abbey looked down at the canteen in her hands.

Liebgott shrugged, "you didn't want lemon".

Rubbing her lips together, Abbey put the canteen in her belt.

"Oh…you mean why'd I give you my canteen?"

She leaned back against the side of the foxhole.

Abbey eventually nodded.

Liebgott pulled an amused, yet confused face.

"Cause you'd have nothing to drink, Abbey".

He then cleared his throat.

"Can't have you getting dehydrated". Liebgott mumbled, "I'd feel pretty shit if I let that happen".

Abbey raised her head.

Her eyes soon met his.

"Thank you". Abbey mumbled, "that's nice".

Liebgott smiled kindly at her and he shrugged.

"Don't mention it".

She nodded, "okay".

He laughed lightly, "right".

Abbey looked away from him and reached into the box, bringing out the packet of crackers.

She took out two, balancing them on her knees, while she put the remaining crackers back inside the box, along with the other food, with she might not eat. Crackers were safe, they were plain. Abbey picked one up, nibbling on the end.

But they were dry.

She pulled a face, looking half disgusted, half confused.

Liebgott laughed again, "tastes like cardboard, huh?"

She brought out the canteen, taking a drink.

He sighed, "you'll get used to it".

Abbey remembered her mum saying that in the letter.

"Why don't you tell me about that dock?"

Liebgott had formed an idea.

He figured Abbey would speak more, if she talked about things she liked.

"What's it called again?" He asked, while opening up the can of stew. "Albert?"

And it did spark interest within Abbey.

Her eyes seemed to even lighten up a little.

"I see the ships and watch them". She whispered softly, "at six, the men go out fishing. They come home a few days later. I watch them unload all the fish and crabs they catch. A big crane lifts the nets and the contents pour into barrels".

Abbey's nose twitched.

"It doesn't smell very nice".

Liebgott grinned, "must be fishy, huh?"

"Very…fishy". Her voiced trailed off quietly at the end.

He stuck his spoon into the can, taking that first bite.

Liebgott chewed what was in his mouth.

"Wow". He remarked, "that sure is different".

Pulling back the can, he tried to make out the small writing; the ingredients.

"Can't read it…guess it's a fucking mystery".

…

In the middle of the night, all was still and quiet.

A few men from 2nd were on watch, while the rest slept peacefully in their foxholes.

Liebgott and Abbey were sound asleep.

The rain had stopped, a blanket was placed around their legs.

And then, the silence was interrupted by this alarm.

The alarm was high pitched, sore and screeched.

"Gas!"

Someone was yelling.

"Gas!"

Abbey was up, ears ringing.

She covered them up with her hands.

Mustard gas? She thought, for a moment.

And true enough, she could see smoke start to thicken the air. When it reached their foxhole, it stung her eyes and made her cough. It was so hard to breathe. Abbey thought she was going to die, her lungs were squeezing, as was her throat. She coughed harshly, body doubling over.

Liebgott had already put on his gas mask.

His eyes wondered over to Abbey, who was coughing beside her.

Quickly, he reached for her ankle and pulled away her mask.

Liebgott pressed the mask up to her face, straps going around the back of her head.

He gave her back a couple of pats, while Abbey's coughing fit slowly ended.

Her hand was soon gripping his jacket sleeve.

Liebgott looked down, her hand was shaking.

Soon, Winters got the order and they were all up and marching.

Abbey and Liebgott quickly packed away their things, joining the rest from 2nd moments later, once they were ready. She found it hard to walk with shaking legs and she found it hard to focus when all she could hear was that alarm, which had been switched off minutes ago.

They took off their masks one mile into their march.

Abbey's eyes were red from the tear gas.

If that was the real deal, she'd probably be dead by now.

"Dammit, Abbey". Liebgott muttered, "you could have died!"

She didn't respond.

Abbey rubbed her eyes again.

He sighed, "you'll only make it worse. Leave your eyes alone".

But she couldn't, they were sore and itchy.

Liebgott grunted and grabbed her arm, pulling her hand away.

"Stop it – what'd I just say, huh? Don't you ever fucking listen?"

Hands by her side now, Abbey's fingers pressed against her trousers.

Still looking pissed off, Liebgott looked at her.

Her head was down.

Abbey didn't look sad or ashamed.

She just looked quiet.

Liebgott sighed, facing the front again.

"Shit, Abbey". He mumbled, "maybe they're right, maybe you should go home".

Abbey rubbed her lips together.

She shook her head.

"I want to fight…now".

Liebgott snorted softly.

"Can't fight when you die from gas".

Her eyes lightened a little.

Abbey lifted her head, looking up at Liebgott.

"That's funny". She mumbled, "cause it's true".

And he stared back at her, face blank.

But then, Liebgott's lips broke out into an amused smile. He tossed his arm around her shoulders. Which was new for her. She wasn't sure if she liked it or not. But Liebgott continued to walk, arm around her shoulders, chuckling quietly with a sigh at the end.

"Abbey…you're different, alright?"

Her eyes moved away from his.

Liebgott shrugged, "you know what? I kinda like it".

What did that mean? She wondered.

The march lasted all night.

Liebgott had released her shoulders at some point during that time.

It was Thanksgiving Day by morning.

But at the end of the line, Major Strayer had one more surprise for his Battalion.

Sobel briefed his Company.

"You will crawl under the wire, while live ammunition shoots over you!"

And of course, he yelled.

"If you lift any part of your body, you will die! Understood?!"

"Yes, sir!" They all shouted back.

This was famously known as the "Hog and innards problem".

Strayer had stretched wires across the field, eighteen inches above the ground.

Machine-gun fire would blast over the top of the wire.

And beneath the wire, which they'd need to crawl through, were freshly slaughtered hogs' hearts, lungs, guts, livers – the works. It was to replicate a real-life battle situation. The machine-guns rested on their tripods, where the legs of the tripods were sandbagged down.

It was an exercise they'd always remember.

Love it or hate it, they'd never forget it.

Abbey had heard machine-gun fire before, but it was different, when it fired above you.

She was hesitant, with a pounding heart and sweaty palms.

And while waiting for her turn, she was biting so hard down on her lip, that it started to bleed. But it wasn't the thought of death which scared her, it was the mud and loudness of the fire.

"Let's go, 2nd Platoon!" Winters called.

He got down first, the rest followed after him.

Abbey was counting back from sixty, which she got down and began her journey through the mud, blood and guts. A few of the men were so disgusted, that they almost got sick. While others were fine and confident throughout. Abbey didn't know what she was. But she just wanted to get to safety as quickly as possible. She was crawling pretty fast, not letting the guts bother her too much, it was just blood, after all. Abbey was never bothered by blood or guts.

They made it to the end, no one was hurt.

"Good job, 2nd Platoon". Winters praised them.

A few of them laughed.

They were covered in blood and mud!

Abbey looked up, briefly looking at Sargent Diel.

He was pleased. The Platoon had done well, no one bitched or moaned, they just did what they had to do and got it over with. And when they got back to camp, everyone had a good shower and entered the mess hall for supper.

Something happened.

Abbey was sitting at her table with Blithe, like normal.

But soon, Liebgott joined them.

She stared down at her food. Not knowing what do to.

Because a few seconds later, more men showed up.

Dukeman, Martin, Guarnere, Lipton, Toye, Skip, Penkala and Malarkey.

Rubbing her lips together, Abbey slowly raised her head.

All the men were smiling, laughing and talking about that exercise.

"You see old Skippers face?" Malarkey commented, "you looked as pale as a ghost!"

"Don, it was all up in my face!"

"…get down, keep going. Man, what a day!"

Liebgott laughed loudly from beside her.

"Sobel couldn't keep up with a fucking snail!"

Abbey blinked and looked back down at her food.

She expected it, the feeling of wanting to cover her ears.

And she stilled, feeling a little frozen in place.

The men around were so happy.

They were clean and eating a hot meal.

Abbey was glad to be clean; she enjoyed the meal.

And she figured she must have felt content, because her hands remained away from her ears. Abbey didn't have to count back from sixty, she didn't have a hard time breathing.

Blithe gave her a soft smile.

"Are you okay, Abbey?"

She nodded.

"Yeah". Abbey whispered, "this is…nice".

…

The training in Toccoa ended after Sink read an article about the Japanese setting a world record of conducting a forced one-hundred-mile march in seventy-two hours. Sink thought his men could do better and selected 2nd Battalion for a march from the camp, to Atlanta. 1st Battalion would travel to Columbus Georgia by train, while 3rd Battalion marched directly to Fort Benning from Atlanta.

Abbey spent a while packing everything up.

Diel was getting angsty.

"Come on, Harrison".

On the 1st of December, Abbey wasn't ready to leave.

For four months she had slept in this barrack.

Trained with the men and had gotten stuck into a comfortable routine.

But an order was an order, Abbey had to leave.

At 0700, Dog, Easy, Fox and the Battalion HQ Company's began their march.

The march was one hundred and eighteen miles long, with one hundred of those miles on un-paved roads, in the country. Besides from the miserable cold rain and some snow, the march went without fail and by eleven at night, they covered forty miles.

Major Strayer had 2nd Battalion camp by a bare hill, which had no trees to shield them from the cold and powerful wind. The temperature dropped and the men were issued bread, smeared with butter and jam because they couldn't get the stove fields started due to the wind. They got inside their little pup-tents and mummy-sleeping bags.

When they got up at 0600 the next morning, everything was covered in frost.

All their weapons were frozen, everything was stuck to the ground.

Abbey couldn't feel her feet and they were swollen.

Everyone had swollen feet that morning, they had to take the shoestrings out of their boots to get them back on. Because her boots were slightly bigger, Abbey didn't have that problem, but it was still a struggle getting them on. It took a few miles for the aching and stiff muscles to warm up and get used to marching again.

Abbey was doing okay.

She didn't like how wet her uniform was, she didn't like the mud.

But Abbey was fine.

Though, she was extremely quiet.

This was so far away from her comfort zone.

But the men were used to her quiet nature by now, they never questioned it.

They covered another forty miles that day and set up camp for the night.

The third day was by far the hardest.

With thirty-eight miles left, the last twenty was on the road.

It played havoc on their sore and swollen feet.

…

"Hey, Private".

Abbey raised her head slightly.

They had set up camp on the grounds of Oglethrope University, which sat on the outskirts of Atlanta. Tomorrow, they'd reach their final destination. Five Points, in downtown Atlanta.

Beside her, Liebgott slept soundly.

1st Lieutenant Winters was crouched outside their little pup-tent.

Abbey's sleeping-bag covered her aching and cold body, pulled up to her chin.

She looked as frozen as ice.

"Major Strayer has arranged for a band to play for us one mile from Five Points".

He informed her, with a tiny amount of warning to his voice.

But then he added softly.

"It'll be a nice welcome, huh?"

Abbey loved music. All types of music. She didn't mind the radio being loud.

But she had never heard music outside the radio, except the trumpet and piano.

Winters continued.

"It'll be like a marching band". He said, "big bass drums, snare drums, trumpets-"

"trumpets". Abbey repeated softly.

She looked at him.

"My dad plays the trumpet very well, sir".

Winters smiled.

"I didn't know that, Private". He said quietly, "what are your parents names?"

"Helen and Mathew Harrison". She replied evenly. "We live in Madryn Street, two-up and two-down house. My dad built an Anderson Shelter".

"Impressive". Winters mused softly, "was it hard to build?"

Abbey's eyebrows twitched.

Her eyes lightened, ever so slightly.

"He thought so". She said, "my mum said he complained too much".

Winters smiled again, with a little chuckle.

"And did you help build the shelter, Private?"

Abbey nodded.

"I put the sandbags down…sir".

"Did your dad have the right to complain?"

There was a small moment of silence.

Abbey's fingers twisted around the sleeping-bag.

"Mum said he was a lazy arse".

Winters laughed softly through his nose.

"Is that right?"

Abbey nodded.

"Yes, sir".

…

The next morning, 3rd Platoon led the march into Atlanta.

They were the only Platoon with all men standing.

Though, Abbey didn't think they lost a man to the ambulance. But a few of them needed help with marching into Atlanta, Five Points. She was in the front of her Platoon, marching between Guarnere and Lipton. Winters was on the side, keeping an eye on things.

And just like he said, they were met with a band.

It wasn't the music that bothered her, it was the cheering crowds.

They were waving American flags, cheering for 2nd Battalion, while the press took their photos.

Big flashes of white light, blinding their way, with the roar of the crowd to the side.

It was a prideful moment for them.

And Abbey just wanted to get away from the cheering people.

Guarnere gave her shoulder a squeeze.

He knew she wouldn't have liked the large crowd, waiting to congratulate them.

Abbey hated it.

But what got her through that moment was knowing Guarnere was to her right, Lipton to her left and Easy all around her.

Raising her head, spine stiffening.

Abbey marched with Easy.


	9. Chapter 8

They had left basic training.

Every man in the Company had mastered his speciality; mortars, machine-guns, rifles, communications, medics and more. They were now capable of handling any role in the Platoon. They know what the role of each rank was and knew how to take over if need be. They had jumped from thirty-four-foot mock towers, to learn the basics of jumping, guiding parachutes and landing.

And now, they were in Fort Benning, where'd they'd make five jumps to qualify as a paratrooper. They'd jump from C-47s, around one thousand feet from the sky. Like the rest of the Company's however, Easy had to undergo four weeks of intense airborne training before they made the jump and pass four stages; A, B, C, and D. Each stage was meant to last one week.

The physical stage was first, 2nd Battalion were led by highly skilled NCO's.

But that was scrapped, the 506th were too far advanced for the NCO's.

They could run circles around them, a few of them even ran backwards, challenging the NCO's. And the Toccoa men would laugh at the Sargent's, they did all of two days of stage A training, soon moving onto stage B.

The Company would get up and double-time to the packing sheds, where they learned how to pack and fold their parachutes. Abbey found it simple. But this place was even more miserable than Toccoa. The frying pan area, where the jump training went on, was scrubby. They slept in little wooden huts, set on sandy soil. At least here, the men were finally getting proper paratrooper training, instead of spending their days doing nothing but physical training.

After packing and unpacking their chutes, they double-timed back to the frying pan area for lunch. Abbey already missed her table in Toccoa, and the cooks didn't know about separating her food. But what surprised her the most was wanting to be near the men now. Abbey sat with them, instead of away from them. There wasn't much elbow room, but she was small enough to squeeze herself in between Liebgott and Guarnere.

She was in an unfamiliar place, Abbey felt safe with the men.

She didn't like it when the experienced Sargent's yelled at them. Abbey didn't like it when Sobel shouted either but at least she was used to that now.

"Alright, Abbey?" Guarnere asked, "what'd you think of this shitty place?"

Abbey was busy separating the peas from the potatoes.

"Shitty". She copied.

He laughed.

"Damn straight, kid".

Nelson leaned forwards, "I heard 1st Battalion gave the Sargent's hell before we got here".

"Don't blame them". Liebgott said, "they ain't so experienced with the physical side, huh?"

"True". Skip pointed out, "but they know that they're doing with jumping".

There came hums of agreement.

After it died down, Abbey hummed as well.

Little too late.

Liebgott grinned, looking down at her.

"Hey, Abbey…you excited to jump?"

After a moment, she shook her head.

"I want the wings". She said quietly.

Guarnere sighed, "we all want those wings, Abbey".

With lunch over, they spent the afternoon leaping into sawdust piles from mock doors raised four feet from the ground. They were told to count; one-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand, four-one thousand – and their chute would come out from its canopy. The prop blast would inflate the chute. And you had risers to help you steer, while you made your decent towards the ground.

Stage C featured a wind machine, while blew a gale along the ground. It would teach the men how to control and collapse their canopies after landing. They also made jumps from two hundred- and fifty-foot towers. One tower had seats, shock absorbers and chute guides. The other had four chutes which released when they reached the suspension arm. They made day time jumps and one night time jump from the towers.

When Abbey reached the top of the tower, she felt a few flutters in her stomach.

But they'd never have known, her face was blank, as usual.

Sargent Diel was at the top of the tower.

Abbey reached the edge and jumped without hesitation.

They had now completed the three stages.

Now, it was time for the real thing.

The night before their jump, they packed their chutes.

Then re-packed and packed them again.

Some were more excited than others, some were confident.

Others were just nervous.

Abbey packed and re-packed her chute.

This went on until half eleven.

"You know, I think it's fine".

Someone had said, calling it a night.

…

"Nervous?"

"No chance".

"Hey – hand me a smoke, would you?"

"Anyone got a light-"

"who's fucking prayer?"

"Does this look right to you?"

They were sitting on the benches, waiting to be summoned to their planes.

It was twenty-four guys to a C-47.

They got up early that morning, reveille was at five-thirty.

Each had their chute and their reserve chute, which strapped across the chest.

Nerves went from one guy to another, passed around like a cold.

Abbey had seen men use the latrines frequently.

Others were joking, laughing away the nerves.

And some just smoked one cigarette after another.

Nelson, who was next to her, smoked like a chimney.

Abbey had been watching him for a few minutes, he never noticed.

He was too busy staring intently towards nothing.

Eventually, Nelson said something.

"I've never been on a fucking plane before".

His voice shook a little, matching his nerves.

Abbey blinked, looking away from him.

"I have". She whispered.

Nelson looked down, eyes darting towards her.

"What's it like, Abbey?"

She thought back to the plane journey over to America. Most of the passengers were talking, while drinks were served and snacks. The seats weren't that comfortable, Abbey was constantly shifting. And the journey was long, it made her legs itch to get up and move.

Nelson waited for an answer.

Abbey's legs jerked.

"Annoying".

He pulled a face, "what?"

Abbey nodded, lips rubbing together.

"Very annoying". She mumbled, "long…but fine and safe".

She looked up at Nelson.

"It's safe".

His shoulders dropped, he felt less tense.

Nelson smiled, "safe?"

Abbey nodded, "you'll be fine".

She looked back down at her hands, while her fingers drummed against her reserve chute. Nelson's features softened. After all he put her through, Abbey was trying her best to assure him that everything would be okay; in her Abbey-like way, of course.

Nelson faced the front again, feeling more confident.

"Thank you, Abbey".

"Okay".

He chuckled softly.

…

Abbey was sitting on the plane with half of her Platoon.

She looked up, spotting the anchor line.

And her eyes followed the line, which was centred in the middle and ran down the fuselage. The opening was shut for take-off and would open once they reached one thousand and five hundred feet in the air. The jump-master, a Sargent instructor, closed the opening and sat down. Soon, the plane engines roared to life.

It was a lot louder than on a civilian plane.

Not to long ago, she was a civilian.

Abbey, slightly stunned by the noise, bit down on her lip.

The plane moved forwards, driving towards the runway.

Other planes took off, while they waited.

Soon, the plane was speeding down the runway, forcing Abbey to press her back up against the side of the plane. It was just like last time, only, she was sitting sideways. Nelson's hands formed into fists; he'd probably never been on something so fast before. But soon, came the sensation of take-off, where your stomach went into your throat and your ears popped.

Once one thousand and five hundred feet in the air, the plane circled over the drop zone.

The red light went on, the Sargent got up.

"Stand up!"

Abbey, like the rest, got onto her feet.

"Hook up!"

She hooked the line attached to her backpack, which covered the main chute, onto the anchor line and waited further instructions.

"Sound off for equipment check!"

One by one, each man checked the man in front, giving him a loud; "twenty okay!"

It went up the line.

Nelson patted her shoulder; "four okay!"

Abbey checked Grant.

"Three okay!"

And so on.

The Sargent then said, "close-up and stand at the door!"

Guarnere was first to jump.

They were told to look out towards the horizon and not down, for obvious reasons. And to place their hands on the outer edge of the door, not on the inside. There was nothing to hold them back if their hands remained on the outside. But everyone on this plane was so eager to just jump, no one put their hands on the inside.

Soon, Abbey was by the opening.

A powerful blast of air stung her eyes. It was cold; made them water.

She could see nothing but white, it was like looking into a cloud.

Abbey got into the ready position, hands gripping the outside of the plane.

The Sargent gave her leg a tap;

"go!"

And with one giant leap, Abbey was out.

Before her canopy opened, she was going pretty fast.

It almost felt as though she couldn't breathe, but Abbey remained calm, knowing this sensation wouldn't last long. She didn't even count; Abbey had forgotten all about counting. But soon enough, it felt as though her body was being torn into two. Her canopy opened.

Abbey carefully grabbed the risers and looked up.

Everything looked fine.

She then took in her surroundings.

Many of white chutes were falling softly around her.

Some of the men were shouting at each other, gleefully reporting they were;

"having a fucking great time!"

Abbey looked down, she felt like a giant.

Like one of the trolls from The Hobbit.

Like Peter Pan flying over to Wendy's house.

It was the closest she had ever felt to their world, without reading.

Abbey took in a deep breath, eyes closing.

_"The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it". _

She could touch magic from the sky.

And she breathed in fantasy.

Abbey loved it.

Tucking in and rolling, she reached the ground. Abbey sat up and gathered up her great white chute, before it tried to drag her away with the wind.

Once everything was away, Abbey left the drop zone.

She found other men from Easy by the gate, watching their buddies fall from the sky.

Abbey joined them and climbed over the wooden fence.

She landed on the other side with a gentle thud.

They were all grinning, while talking about their jump.

Many had the same experience, shared the same feelings.

"I couldn't stop fucking running in the air!" Guarnere expressed, "almost broke my Goddamn neck".

Abbey looked back up towards the sky.

Many Peter Pan's were falling safely, with their white wings.

Nelson was standing next to her.

"That was safe". He commented, "you were right".

Abbey climbed back on the fence.

She stood on the fifth plank of wood and grabbed the top.

Gripping on tightly, she leaned back a little.

Abbey turned her head back up towards the sky.

It was interesting to see men in the air, rather than seagulls.

…

The fourth jump came on Christmas Eve.

And on Christmas Day, they were given a rare day off.

For most of the men, it was their first Christmas away from their families and loved ones. It was sad, really, the men weren't in the Christmas spirit at all. But it was a day off and they lounged around in the sheds, trying to cheer each other up.

"We cleared that plane in six seconds". Lipton was telling them, "we had twelve of us, the Sargent was astonished".

Guarnere grinned, "damn straight we did, Lip".

"I'll never forget the look on his face".

Abbey was on that plane with them.

The jumpmaster was shouting; "go, go, go!"

And they all got off, within six seconds.

The men loved the thrill of jumping, it's all they ever talked about.

But on the 25th of December, they could only sadly speak of home.

Abbey had good Christmas's back in Liverpool.

They'd decorate a tree, which ended in a great deal of frustration for Abbey because nothing ever looked right but once the tree was sorted, they'd sit down and admire their hard work. Mathew would put on the fire; Helen would play Christmas songs on the piano. And in the morning, they'd open presents. They never got a lot, Abbey got one present a year, with an orange and an apple in her stocking. The best present she got was The Hobbit.

Their worst Christmas was only two years ago, when the Germans bombed them.

The entire city had their worst Christmas that year.

So, sitting in a shed, it wasn't so bad.

But Abbey did enjoy putting up a Christmas tree and decorating it.

For supper, they had a glorious turkey dinner.

And got word that tomorrow, they'd be doing their fifth and final jump.

That seemed to lighten the mood.

Because soon enough, they'd have their jump wings; just like they wanted.

And they did get their wings.

Colonel Sink pinned their jump wings on the 26th of December.

It was by far, the proudest moment of their lives.

Abbey hadn't seen much of Sink before.

He had dark hair and a moustache.

And he had this broad smile and a strong presence when he entered the room.

Once those jump wings were pinned on her uniform, Abbey knew she had made it.

God knows how. But she was now a certified Paratrooper.

The wings were shinny and silver. They were smooth to touch. Abbey promised herself that no matter where they were, she'd keep them this shinny. Because like the rest of the men, she felt very proud.

And her eyes lit up, shinning like her jump wings.

…

"We did it!"

They had a party that night inside the PX.

Everyone from Easy was there, including the officers.

Colonel Sink had come down, congratulating them once again.

"I want you all to know that I'm damn proud of each and every one of you".

Abbey stared up at the Colonel, in a state of awe.

"Now, you deserve this party". He went on, "so, I want you to have fun and remember our motto".

Sink raised his glass of beer.

"Currahee!"

"Currahee!" They all called back.

Abbey took a sip from her beer, like the rest of them.

Colonel Sink and Strayer soon left the building.

The loud chatter and laughter resumed.

She leaned back against the wall, where Abbey could watch the men have fun.

Helen didn't have to drag her to this party, she wanted to go because Easy were there.

The only problem was, she wasn't exactly joining in.

But Abbey did feel content that they all had their wings and were given this party. And tomorrow, Sink was giving them a ten-day furlough back home. Abbey couldn't go back home, so, she'd remain at Benning, waiting for everyone else to get back.

Abbey looked down at her bloused boots.

They were given brand-new clean boots.

She was very impressed by them.

"Private?"

Winters and Nixon had wondered over to her.

They weren't far away from Abbey.

"You not one for a party?" Nixon asked.

She raised her head slightly.

"It's nice that they're having fun, sir". Abbey responded quietly.

The two officers stared out towards their men.

And they were having a lot of fun, everyone was smiling.

Winters looked back down at her.

"Are you having fun?"

She pressed her finger against her jump wings.

"I had fun, sir". Abbey said, "I liked jumping".

Nixon grinned.

"Hey, you ain't the only one, kid". He told her, "it's great, huh?"

He took a drink from his beer.

Abbey copied him and did the same.

She still didn't like the taste but was slowly getting used to it.

The men of Easy Company liked to drink. And they were drunk that night.

Perconte stumbled into a chair, almost sitting on Bull's lap.

"Hey – come on, Perc!"

Martin was grinning.

"What the fuck's this all about then?"

"Get lost, Johnny". Bull grumbled.

Abbey put her empty glass on the table.

She then slowly turned around and looked up, catching Winters eyes.

"Thank you, sir". Abbey whispered.

He titled his head to the side, not knowing what she was thanking him for.

And Abbey took the hint and gave a reason.

"For giving me a chance…sir".

"Oh".

Winters wasn't expecting that.

And it was delivered in such a soft way.

He smiled.

"I'm proud of you, trooper". Winters told her, "well done".

Abbey did something else unexpected.

The corners of her mouth twitched, creating the smallest of smiles.

"Okay, sir".


	10. Chapter 9

"Private John Doe, E Company". The Lieutenant called out.

Colonel Sink held a regimental parade once the ten-day furlough had come to an end. They were all dressed in their Class A uniforms, standing behind the cook's hutments. And when Sink told them to stand at ease, they watched and listened in silence, as a Lieutenant read out each name of every man who was late in coming back from their furlough.

Once Private Doe's name was read, the drummer played a mournful roll beside the Lieutenant. Two Sargent's, armed with machine-guns, moved to the Private. Doe stepped away from Easy, face pale, while the Sargent's escorted him and they stopped in front of the Lieutenant.

He was being drummed out of the Paratroopers, condemned to the infantry.

The Lieutenant ripped the 506th patch from Doe's arm.

The wings from his chest.

The parachute patch from his hat.

And he threw them on the ground.

The Lieutenant even took a picture of him, once he was stripped all this Paratrooper. Doe had to take off his boots and wear regular shoes as well, straight legs, as they called it. And then a jeep pulled up and dumped out Doe's items from the barracks. He picked up his bags and followed the Sargent's, the drum continued to roll.

It was a day no one would forget.

Abbey wasn't likely to forget it either.

And it gave her a little kick up the backside.

Abbey didn't ever want to be drummed out. She'd hate it if some Lieutenant took away her wings and newly polished boots. And though she wouldn't admit it to herself, she didn't want to be away from Easy. Abbey couldn't stop thinking about it, those drums played loudly in her ears, even after some weeks had gone by.

In late January, the 506th moved across the Chattahoochee river to the Alabama side of Fort Benning. It was like going from prison, to a five-star resort. The barracks were nice, the food was great, the had a large PX centre and a movie theatre. Abbey, and the rest of the men, were very comfortable here.

The Platoons were broken down into three rifleman squads, which each had a machine-gunner and an assistant machine-gunner, and each Platoon had one six-man mortar squad, to operate the 60mm mortar. A lot of promotions were made during Toccoa and after, when the old Sargent's left. Guarnere became Sargent of the mortar squad, Toye was promoted as well. As was Martin, Sargent of 1st squad. Training in this camp, mainly focused on squad problems.

They were added with a new member, Eugene Jackson; placed into 2nd Platoon.

Jackson had just finished off in the Pacific and decided he needed to see more action. So, he decided to join the Airborne and after earning his wings, he was placed into Easy Company. He was born and raised in Arnold Pennsylvania, with his two parents, his younger sister Margaret and brother, Robert.

Jackson had arrived in perfect time, just as they were sorted into squads.

Of course, Abbey was a rifleman. Despite not liking the rifle training at the very start, she had a good shot because of this obsession to get it perfect each time. And she was placed into Toye's squad. They had a good squad. And the squad problems were a good exercise, they did a lot of house-to-house fighting.

Lots of explosions, shooting blanks at one another and using smoke grenades.

The men had a blast.

Abbey was used to those loud noises, they had to use grenades back in Toccoa. She remembered it well. Pulling back the pin, throwing it across the field and then ducking for cover, while it exploded. It made her ears ring; her hands would shake a little, but it was an order. And she knew how important orders were.

Carson was a lot of fun. Gordy Carson, who was in Toye's squad. When they weren't training that day, he'd head out with a few of the guys and come home very early the next day. Rory was just getting up for duty when he and a few others came home from a night out at Chickasaw Gardens in Columbus. He had one eye open for the better part of the morning.

Abbey never went with them, for obvious reasons. Number one being, they'd only go out to catch the girls. And she wasn't into that. No, when they got a day off, Abbey would read her books or go to the movie theatre with Blithe and Jackson. The theatre would show a variety of films, ranging from western, to romance and Abbey's favourite, thriller. She would go to the theatre with her dad. They'd see half the movie on Saturday and the next half, the following week.

Jackson was an easy-going guy with a great sense of adventure. He loved the outdoors and camped a lot growing up. Him and Robert would go fishing and swim in a lake, with fast currents. He was a daredevil in some ways, who was always getting into trouble by his mother, when he was up to no good. And he was the first guy to get Abbey out of her books.

The morning they first went to the theatres, the men couldn't believe it.

"Didn't expect to see you here, Abbey". Skip said.

And the next weekend off after inspection, Jackson got her out of her books once again.

"We can't stay in here, Abbey". He said to her, "come on, let's hit the forest".

She didn't understand why Jackson wanted to hit a forest.

"Why do you want to hit a forest?" Abbey asked, in her usual monotone way.

It made him laugh, more than it should have.

Jackson clapped her shoulder, "God, you crack me up – nah, we're going for a walk. Let's go".

They usually did their morning runs in the forest; it was nice to walk through it this time. Abbey could admire the trees, the bushes and the small stream down a slope. Jackson was soon sliding down that slope, just to get a better look at the stream. He was standing on a rock and jumped towards the other one, repeating this process, until he was standing in the middle of the stream.

And he grinned at Abbey, looking incredibly proud of himself.

"See this, Abbey!" He said, "stepping stones, huh?!"

Carefully, she slid down the slope and stopped at the water.

"You 'wanna-"

But Abbey was already jumping over the stones and was soon standing on the stone next to him. Facing the water, she crouched down and placed her hand on the surface. Jackson watched her, hoping she didn't fall in, he had no idea if she could swim or not. And the stream wasn't exactly shallow, it would swallow her up and take her down.

But Abbey didn't fall in, she just wanted to see how cold it was.

"Cold, Abbey?" Jackson asked.

Biting her lip, she nodded.

"Wouldn't 'wanna fall in that, huh?" He said, "can you swim?"

Abbey carefully straightened herself back up.

"No". She mumbled, "the water will go in my ears".

Jackson smiled.

He sighed in content, while looking ahead.

"I wonder where the stream ends". He said, "think it goes on and on?"

Abbey looked back towards the bank and she began to step onto the stones, leading her back towards the earth. She didn't like the thought of falling into cold water with a strong current. Jackson decided to follow after her, figuring they could explore more of the forest, and go off the path. But, unfortunately, he ended up slipping on the stone and falling into the stream.

Just as Abbey's boot touched the earth, she heard a gigantic splash.

Quickly, she turned around.

Jackson wasn't behind her.

Abbey felt her chest squeeze and her heart rate increase.

Getting onto her knees, she then looked down towards the water.

Jackson had been under for ten seconds now.

When a hand suddenly popped up, but his head didn't.

Abbey reached forward, almost falling in herself. She grabbed onto Jackson's forearm, gripping his skin tightly. Giving him a pull, he wouldn't budge. Abbey had to use two hands to eventually get his head up. Jackson gasped, eyes stinging red from the water. Abbey started to pull him back, her bum landing on the muddy ground, feet pressed up against a rock.

He had some footing, the closer he got to land. And soon, Jackson was lying down on the earth, staring up towards the sky. Abbey took off her jacket and placed it over his chest. He let out a tiny laugh; though nervous sounding.

"Yeah – thanks". He said, breathlessly.

Jackson ran a hand down his face.

"Jesus Christ". He whispered, "me and my banana feet".

Abbey looked towards his boots; Jackson waved his hand.

"An expression, Abbey".

She looked back towards the water.

"Let's go". She said quietly, "you will be cold now".

"Fucking freezing". Jackson corrected, with a tiny smirk.

They both got onto their feet and climbed back up the slope.

Jackson placed his hand on her shoulder, once they reached the path again.

"I owe you, Abbey". He told her, "mom would kill me if I drowned in a damn stream".

Abbey shook her head, while they continued to walk.

Jackson smiled a little, squeezing her shoulder.

"You know, I was holding onto that rock and I couldn't pull myself up". He said, "that current is stronger than my stream back home".

When they arrived back at camp, Jackson hung his clothes around the pot-belly stove.

Abbey sat on the edge of her bed, already bringing out her book.

A few of the men from her squad were in; Nelson, Lesniewski and Liebgott.

The rest had gone out to get drunk and find girls.

Joe Lesniewski was new to Easy, arriving at roughly the same time as Jackson. He was quiet and kept mostly to himself. But Skip, Penkala and Malarkey had soon warmed-up to him, after they heard him singing a western song.

"What the hell happened to your clothes?" Liebgott asked Jackson.

He grinned, "I fell in the stream".

Nelson snorted, "yeah? You idiot".

Jackson nodded towards Abbey.

"Abbey pulled me out".

Slowly, Nelson and Liebgott looked at her.

"No, shit". Liebgott whispered.

"Yeah, I would have been a goner". Jackson put on his nightshirt and trunks. "If it weren't for our little Scouser".

Abbey's eyebrows twitched.

She looked up from her book.

Jackson smiled, "I did my research". He mumbled, "hope I didn't offend you".

After a moment of doing nothing, Abbey shook her head.

Her lips twitched, while she looked down at her book once more.

Liebgott smiled a little, while watching her.

"Abbey can't swim".

…

In March, they moved to camp Mackall.

This camp, they had soft pillows and mattresses and heated barracks.

Training intensified in Mackall. The jumps included not only rifles, like back in the other camp, but other small arms. The mortars squads would split their weapon and its base plate, so, two could carry something each. Food, ammunition, maps, hand grenades, high explosives and more were attached to the troopers for their jumps. Some were carrying an extra one hundred pounds during the jumps.

After the jumps; they waved goodbye to their barracks for field exercises.

The main focus was quick troop movements and operating behind enemy lines in large forces. The Platoon leaders were given a map, where they had to be in a certain place within a given time. And this is where Sobel's runners stepped in.

The men wanted Sobel gone; no doubt about it.

So, with Tippers help, Sobel was able to mislay maps, compasses and other items he needed the most at that time. They'd be in the woods, well over their time limit and Sobel would be lost. Their positions were all over the place, some of the men even got lost themselves. No one wanted to head into combat with Sobel. It wasn't just that he hadn't earned his men's respect, it was the fact that he was so jumpy in the field.

"Here they come…here they come!"

He'd all but yell, while they were in position and a leaf would startle him.

But the worst moment, for perhaps Abbey, was after a week of being out in the field.

They came back to camp; Sobel had injured his foot with a jump and he and Sargent Evans stayed behind. The men were tired, dirty and hungry. They just wanted a shower, a hot meal and comfortable sleep. But when 1st squad walked into the barrack; it was trashed. The beds were tipped over, sheets lying up in a ball on the floor, footlockers had been ripped open, letters lay scattered around. And what's more, all their personal items had been confiscated.

"Fucking Christ". Toye whispered.

They couldn't believe it.

Abbey ran right over to her bed and opened up her footlocker.

Her books and her one letter from home was gone.

She felt her heart tear away from the rest of her body; shoulders dropping in defeat. Abbey clenched her jaw, slamming the lid from her footlocker down, creating a loud thud. That was it, she finally had a place for Sobel – she hated him. Eyes shining, Abbey got back onto her feet, hands balling up into fists.

And she moved down the barrack.

"Hey – where're you going?" Liebgott grabbed her arm, stopping her.

Abbey swallowed.

"To get our things back". She muttered, "he took them".

Toye shook his head, stepping in front of her.

"Can't do that, Abbey". He said to her, "he'll take away your wings".

Abbey's eyes darted towards the door; while biting down on her lip.

Her nose twitched with anger. She was so mad.

Sobel not only took her books, but he took everyone's belongings.

It wasn't fair – it wasn't right.

Abbey felt her heart race and her chest tighten.

Liebgott still had a hold of her, worried she'd bolt right out that door. And she wanted to.

So, Abbey waited until everyone was fast asleep.

She crept out of the barracks, crossed the muddy path and walked into the barrack opposite them. Inside, all but one man was tucked up in his bed, sleeping sounding. Abbey padded over to this man's bed; he was snoring softly, like a kitten. But instead of waking him up gently, like someone might do, Abbey gave his shoulder a rough shake.

Slightly startled, Sargent Evans sat up.

He had to blink a few times, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

"1st Sargent, we want our things back-"

"who the hell…". Evans muttered.

Reaching over to his bedside table, he turned on the lamp.

And now, he was glaring.

"What do you want Private?" He all but snapped, "do you know what time it is?"

Abbey nodded, staring over his shoulder.

"Yes. It's one in the morning".

Evans sighed and ran a hand down his face.

It was to late for this bullshit.

"We want our things back, 1st Sargent". Abbey repeated.

He pulled a face, staring at her.

"No!" Evans hissed, "they've been confiscated".

Abbey rubbed her lips together; perhaps a different method.

"We want our things back…please".

He sighed again, with more annoyance.

"Everything is still confiscated…despite your politeness, Private".

She gave her head a little shake, eyes squinting towards the wall.

"It's not fair-"

"life isn't fair!" Evans expressed, "get back to bed, before I bring in Captain Sobel".

Abbey then nodded.

"Oh, good. Maybe he'll see things differently".

The 1st Sargent barked out a laugh.

"You're so stupid, Private". He said.

Abbey's eyes hardened.

"I did not insult you". She mumbled, "I just wanted our things back".

Evans pointed towards the door.

"Get out, Private!" He yelled, "go and cry to Winters about it, if you're so upset".

Abbey's eyebrows twitched.

She rubbed her lips together and turned away, walking back over to the door.

Evans nodded, watching her leave.

"That's what I thought!"

Abbey stepped outside the barrack and closed the door.

Outside, as if waiting for her was Jackson.

He had this smile across his face, a coy smile.

It reeked of mischief.

And Jackson brought out a smoke grenade from his pocket.

"What do you think, Abbey?" He asked, "think Evans likes the colour purple?"

Her eyes lit up, while she took the smoke grenade from his hands.

Jackson smiled, clapping her shoulder.

"Give him hell, Abbey".

Turning back to the door, she took out the pin and tossed the grenade inside the barrack. After a few seconds, Evans started to yell, they both ran back to their barrack and jumped into bed, pretending to be fast asleep. The others didn't question it, they figured someone would get up to something after what Sobel and Evans had done.

They just didn't expect Abbey to be a part of it.

…

Abbey sat on a stool, peeling potatoes.

Evans had accused her of setting off that smoke grenade to Sobel the next morning. Though he was correct, it wasn't like he actually saw her do it – it could have been anyone. But nonetheless, Abbey was being punished. She didn't seem to mind. The task was boring but at least she missed out on inspections that morning. Sobel revoked her pass; she expected that.

Abbey didn't care, she didn't leave the camp anyway.

She was glad to have done that.

Evans called her stupid, he wouldn't give their stuff back. And it often felt like Evans was always whispering in Sobel's ear, telling him this that, and the next thing. They were lucky to have officers like Winters, Nixon, Hester and Lavenson around. They were just a few to name, who had earned a bag of respect from Easy and the rest of 2nd Battalion. It was just unfortunate they were stuck with Sobel.

Sobel still tried to scare them, he'd still yell and issue out punishments, but his tactics were getting old now; the fear was gone. He could yell until his teeth fell out; they wouldn't bat an eyelid. Easy had earned their wings, they were Paratroopers. It's all they ever wanted. And through all that tough training in Toccoa, only the best remained.

"How's it going, kid?"

Abbey hadn't lost count of the potatoes she had peeled so far.

Sobel had given her two massive sacks.

"One hundred". She replied.

Guarnere snorted.

He let out a little sigh, "so, was it you?"

Abbey only gave a little nod in return, making Guarnere laugh.

"Good for you, Abbey". He said, "still didn't get our things back".

Her eyebrows twitched.

No, the smoke grenade didn't help them get their things back.

Abbey had hoped her purple attack, thanks to Jackson, might have proved to Evans just how serious she was about getting their things back. And she missed her books, she missed them a lot, they were her safety, comfort and a world she could visit whenever she needed. But because she had read them over and over again, her mind wouldn't let her forget.

It wasn't so bad after all.

And Abbey stopped peeling potatoes.

She looked up at Guarnere.

"No, we didn't". Abbey mumbled softly, "but it felt damn good".


	11. Chapter 10

Before they left Mackall, first Platoon were given a new Platoon leader.

Lieutenant Harry Welsh.

He was small, Irish and completely fair, like Winters.

"Officers go first". Both Lieutenants shared the same outlook for leadership.

Nixon, Lavenson and Hester moved to Battalion Staff.

Welsh came along when Easy were short-handed with Platoon leaders. It was strange that most men working in Battalion Staff were once Easy guys, which explained why the Company were called up for many objectives out in combat, which they'd find out later on.

Along with Guarnere, Martin and Lipton. Others were promoted to Sargent; Elmer Murray, Rob Rader, Bob Smith and Murray Roberts. Diel, Harris and Ranney were the Platoon Sargent's. Carson, Toye and others quickly joined the NCO ranks during or before Mackall.

The situation with Sobel was growing more and more tense.

They had around one hundred and forty-eight men in Easy, one hundred and forty-seven of them talked about "accidentally" killing him out in combat, to save the Company.

At the end of May, it was pack up and go time.

Easy and the rest of the 506th were heading to Sturgis, Kentucky. At the depot, Red Cross girls handed them coffee and doughnuts for them; their last bit of good before a one-month training exercise cross-country. This was to stimulate real-life combat. And Abbey was about to pass on the offer from the girls but Liebgott shook his head.

"No, she'll have them".

So, after enjoying their last sweet treat until this exercise stopped, they soon marched out into the countryside. The march went on until the sun started to drop and they were soon ordered to pitch up their pup tents and dig straggle trenches to use as the latrines.

It was red team versus blue team.

They didn't use real ammunition, they fired blanks at each other. They conducted forced marches in the night, over rivers, climbing up mountains and stumbling over rocks, roots and little holes in the ground. But the worst part was the food. The Army's favourite meal for the troops in the field was creamed chip beef on toast, or, "shit on a shingle", as they called it.

Guarnere shook his head, while looking down at his meal.

"What the fuck am I doing?"

Toye would laugh, "Bill, this is just life. And it's hard".

"Don't give me that crap, Joe". He muttered, "I'll be shitting this out for weeks".

Skip, he was always the peacemaker.

If it wasn't for Skip, they'd be more fights in the barrack back in Toccoa. He was funny, kind and very easy going. And he would never shy away when the topic of girls was brought up; he had Faye Tanner and loved to talk about her, as much as Guarnere loved talking about Frannie.

"It could be worse". Skip said, "we could be actually eating shit".

"It could actually be shit". Malarkey pointed out, grimacing before taking another bite.

"maybe, Don". He said, "but if that's the case, then it's good shit".

Nights were always the hardest.

More often than not, the men would be hungry, cold and dirty.

They'd be first on watch, while their two buddies next to them slept soundly. And you'd be left alone, dreaming about home and the girl you left behind. For Abbey's case, she'd sit and think about the docks and sometimes her parents. But she wasn't sad, she didn't feel homesick.

It just might be nice to see her city again.

The curious thing was, Abbey could understand why her mum was so upset to see her go. It might have taken a while for her to understand that, but Abbey got it now. It wasn't just about the combat; it was about Abbey adjusting and leaving the comforts of her room. Her mum was worried she wouldn't cope. The amount of times Helen dropped her daughter off at school, praying Abbey would have a good day – actually praying, that Abbey wouldn't lash out and get frustrated. Helen adored her daughter, just like any mother should. She only wanted Abbey to be happy and live life with friends and loved ones.

All Helen asked, was for her daughter to try.

Abbey was sitting outside the tent, rifle by her side.

Liebgott shuffled around for a few moments and eventually sat up.

Rubbing his eyes, he looked towards the sky.

It was getting light.

He frowned, "Abbey…you're only supposed to be on watch for two hours".

She could hear the birds now, the ones who were up early to catch that first worm. Abbey might have known it had been over two hours. But Liebgott and Nelson were tired. She had heard them say so, during their march towards this position.

The young man sighed, scooting forward to sit next to her.

It was going to be a lovely day.

Liebgott looked at her, "get some sleep, alright? I'll take over".

Giving a little nod Abbey moved inside the pup tent with her rifle.

He smiled small, turning around to look at her.

"I'll see you in a few hours, Abbey".

…

In mid-August, after Fort Bragg, a band played while the men walked to twenty trains waiting to take them to war. This was it, even the Red cross girls were crying, while they cheered them off towards the trains; it was a busy affair. Abbey stuck close with Liebgott and Toye, while they all lined up, ready to board the train carriages. North was towards New York, where they'd drop into Europe, west was California for a drop into the Pacific. All the men were placing bets on where this train would take them.

The more Abbey though about it, the more she wanted to head into Europe.

She didn't think the jungle life would suit her much.

In other news, Abbey received a letter from home; her mum had given birth to a baby boy. They called him Stewart Mathew Harrison. Apparently, he had very blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Nothing like Abbey, who had dark hair. But he was beautiful apparently and quiet, much like how she was as a baby. Stewart was born on the 25th of February, after Helen was in labour for over twelve hours. Exhausted, she managed to give birth and welcome a healthy baby into the world.

Abbey was a big sister to her parent's final child.

And on the tenth of June, the 506 officially joined the 101st Airborne Division. Adding the 506, noticeably raised the morale of the 101st Division. At least, according to the men of Easy.

Soon, the men were sitting down in the train, taking off their jackets when they realised how stuffy and warm it was inside the carriage. They hung them up above them, not wanting to get anything creased. Abbey looked out of the window, watching while the girls continued to wave them all off.

"Alright, how much?"

"Not me". Nelson refused, "I promised my 'ma I wouldn't gamble".

Liebgott snorted, "lightweight – Jackson, you in?"

Jackson, always up for a challenge, nodded.

"You'd bet, put me down for ten bucks for the Krauts in Europe".

"Oh, you know something?" Liebgott asked.

"Nah – but I've already fought the Japs, don't 'wanna do it again".

"What're you going for, Lieb?" Nelson asked.

"Japs".

Nelson shrugged.

"Seems like a popular choice".

"And you wouldn't have said that?"

"What about Africa, huh?" Nelson suggested, "not a lot going for Africa".

Liebgott tutted, "fuck off, Nelly. Quit trying to weasel me out".

A lot of men were placing their bets.

But it was all down to where this train was headed.

And once it started moving, everyone excitedly whispering.

"North-"

"nah, west".

The train was headed north.

The cheers and groans split down the Company. Men lost money, men had more.

Jackson was very happy, Liebgott not so much.

"Goddammit".

"Ah – it's fine, Lieb". Jackson gave him his money back, "it was just a bit of fun, huh?"

Liebgott pulled a face, taking his money back.

"It was a bet, Jack".

Jackson shrugged, "just a bit of fun, pal".

Abbey, who was still looking out the window commented quietly;

"that was nice".

Liebgott grinned, putting his money back into his pocket.

"It was, yeah".

He then brought out his cigarettes, giving one to Jackson.

"Thirty miles up the Hudson River". Nelson noted, "think we'll get passes into the City?"

Liebgott snorted.

"Not a chance, Nelly".

The journey went on, the train got warmer.

It was packed, men played cards and gambled some more to pass the time. While others wrote letters or read over their letters again. Liebgott had fallen asleep, Jackson and Nelson were playing a game of twenty-one and Abbey was daydreaming. She was enjoying the journey; it was nice looking out the window and passing country fields. The colours and shapes all merged into vibrant swirls of green, yellow and blue.

"Twenty-one-"

"shit".

"Better luck next time, Jack".

Jackson shuffled the cards again.

"This is our next time".

Jackson wasn't very lucky when it came to card names, no matter how many times he played. And he figured perhaps they needed one other player.

"Abbey? Fancy joining in?"

Nelson looked over at her.

"She's busy, Jack".

Jackson frowned; she didn't look busy at all.

"She's staring out the-"

"exactly". Nelson cut him off, "she's busy – come on, deal them out".

After a further ten minutes, Abbey looked away from the window.

The passing scenery was beginning to make her feel dizzy.

Leaning forwards a little, Abbey looked over at the seats across from them.

Guarnere, Toye, Martin and Lipton were sitting there; talking quietly.

Whenever they went that quiet, Abbey knew they were discussing Sobel. Everyone was getting more anxious now, the more they thought about Sobel out in combat with them; leading them. It was a daunting thought, having a jumpy and confused man leading a Company out behind enemy lines and into live fire.

"I think Harris and Ranney are thinking up something-"

"yeah? It better fucking work, Johnny".

"It's just what I heard".

"Hey, Abbey?"

Leaning back, Abbey slowly looked towards Jackson.

"You alright? Look a little pale".

He looked concerned.

Abbey's eyebrows twitched.

Jackson smiled and shook his head.

"Never mind…".

The only thing that bothered Abbey was her legs; they were itching to move.

She shifted in her seat, pulling a slightly uncomfortable face.

The train jolted on the track at the same time, almost causing her to fall.

Nelson chuckled quietly.

"Guess we'll be there soon, huh? Man, it's hot in here".

"It is". Jackson mumbled, closing his eyes. "Keep watch, huh?"

Nelson tutted, "what the fuck for?"

He yawned, "Sobel?"

"Yeah…sure thing, kid".

Jackson dropped off, much like Liebgott.

Nelson took out his cigarette, lighting it up.

He looked over at Abbey, surprised to find her staring at him.

"Hey – uh – Abbey?"

Her eyes looked away quickly.

Nelson rubbed the back of his neck.

"I was an ass to you". He mumbled, "and I'm sorry about that. You ain't a freak. You're another guy in Easy".

Abbey's eyes softened.

Her lips twitched; she gave him a little nod.

"Okay". She whispered, "it's okay".

Nelson smiled.

"Hey, you're pretty bad ass, you know? Smoking Evans and all".

A moment of silence passed between them.

"Just wish I knew you better, kid".

Abbey frowned softly, looking back at him.

She bit down on her bottom lip, thinking of what to say.

"Helen and Mathew are my parents".

Nelson leaned back against the seat, with a soft smile.

She cleared her throat.

"I went to school and got into trouble a lot".

"Why?" He asked her.

Abbey rubbed her finger tips together.

"Because…because it's my fault". She whispered, "it wasn't their fault. I realise that now. When all I can do, is blame myself for actions that get me into trouble".

Her shoulder lifted, forming a shrug.

"I wish…I wish I didn't blame them".

Nelson found it a little sad.

He reached over, giving Abbey's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"I'll tell you, Abbey. You ain't easy but you're not the same person who walked into Toccoa".

Blinking, she looked at his hand.

"How?" She whispered.

Nelson sighed quietly.

"Well…for one, you don't mind dirty OD's now".

He chuckled quietly at that.

"And two, I 'dunno, Abbey…you've just got an edge about you now, huh?"

Nelson released her shoulder and leaned back against the seat again.

Abbey soon stared at her hands, with a gentle frown.

"You want things to be perfect". He said, "good, we need someone to make the world perfect".

This warm feeling spread in the pit of her stomach.

Abbey's jaw twitched and she clasped her hands together.

Nelson smiled softly at her.

"You tidy up this world, Abbey". He said quietly to her, "one shitstorm at a time".

Leaning back, Abbey was now smiling small.

She looked back out towards the window.

And she decided; she liked Nelson.

…

Thirty-miles later, they arrived at camp Shanks.

It was a holding area before they boarded the ship, S.S Samaria.

The whole of the 506th were present. All five thousand of them.

Not a lot of interest happened in Shanks.

They didn't get passes into New York, the NCO's were busy reading "Preparation for overseas movement" manual, and they mainly did inspections and target practice. Abbey shot her rifle a lot during Shanks, more so than any other camp. Though, she didn't seem to mind at all, Abbey was always up for perfecting her shot. She spent all afternoon shooting her rifle once.

Until Winters told her to stop.

"At this rate, we won't have bullets for combat, Nolan".

Though, he said it in the kindest way possible.

Abbey's lips pulled to the side, as if hiding a smile.

"Okay, sir". She replied softly.

Getting back onto her feet, Abbey shouldered her rifle.

And just like that, their two weeks at Shanks came to an end.

The night before they'd board the Samaria, someone got a hold of some whiskey. Abbey didn't know who it was, her guess was Martin, but they all sat around in their barrack that night, passing the bottle around to each guy; even Abbey drank with them.

It was a lot strong than beer.

This was it, their last night in America.

The men were leaving home.

"Got a hold of this". Liebgott said, holding up a sheet of paper. "Wanna hear it?"

"Go for it". Toye was half asleep.

Clearing his throat, Liebgott began to read;

_ "Dear madam, _

_ Soon your son will drop from the sky to engage and defeat the enemy. He will have the best of weapons, and equipment, and have had months of hard, and strenuous training to prepare him for the success on the battlefield. _

_ Your frequent letters of love, and encouragement will arm him with a fighting heart. With that, he cannot fail, but will win glory for himself, make you proud of him, and his country ever grateful for his service in his hour of need. _

_ Herbert M. Sobel, Captain Commanding". _

They all stared at Liebgott.

_ Sobel wrote that? _

Abbey took a drink of whiskey, passing it to Jackson.

"Jesus". Malarkey whispered, "who would have thought, huh?"

Guarnere shook his head, "not me, Malark".

"He got one thing right". Diel said, "training was strenuous".


	12. Chapter 11

The best place to be at the moment, was up on deck.

Ice wrapped up in a flannel was currently placed on her eye.

Getting into a fight, twenty minutes after the ship and left the dock; wasn't a good idea. But Abbey couldn't help it, that guy wouldn't back off and leave her alone. He kept on pushing her, getting up in her face and saying the same thing over again;

"get out of my fucking way, you idiot!"

Abbey was going as quickly as she could.

Moving fast wasn't possible, not when the ship was so overcrowded.

And she turned around, punching him in the gut.

Of course, that angered him, and the guy got her in the eye.

Liebgott and Jackson jumped in, taking care of that guy, while Toye dragged her away, while she kicked off and screamed. Abbey hadn't lashed out for a while, not since Nelson got on her last nerve and ruined her OD's but she had lost it down in the ship.

And now, she had a black-eye.

Which wasn't so great.

Back resting against the railings and facing away from the sea, Abbey pulled the flannel away from her eye, blinking a few times, making sure it wasn't too swollen. It didn't hurt, not much and it didn't hurt when he punched her. But the impact caused her to fall back, which alerted Liebgott and Jackson, who were a few steps in front of her.

They were probably still fighting.

Abbey actually felt bad about that; it wasn't their fight, she started it.

The heavy door towards the deck opened; Guarnere stepped out.

She looked up a little, before looking back down at the green flannel.

"How's the eye, Abbey?"

He wondered over to her, copying her stance.

Abbey rubbed her lips together.

"Shitty". She whispered.

Guarnere snorted, with a tiny smirk.

"Yeah…well, they ain't fighting 'no more. Lieb and Jack took care of it".

He gave her shoulder a little nudge.

"Get that ice back on, quit messing around".

Abbey complied, flannel back on her eye once again.

Guarnere looked amused.

"Tell you what, Abbey – you look like one messed-up pirate, huh?"

She frowned a little, looking up at him.

"Ah – you know, with the patch and all".

Abbey shook her head, looking away from him, he chuckled all the same.

"Pirate Abbey". He went on, "sailing across the Atlantic, with a black fucking eye".

Guarnere brought out a cigarette, sparking it up.

"Tell you something, Abbey…you know where we're headed?"

Abbey shook her head.

"No". She mumbled.

Guarnere grinned.

"Ah – Abbey, you ain't 'gonna believe this".

Her eyebrows twitched, she looked up at him.

He was smiling at her.

"Albert Docks, Abbey".

Abbey's expression dropped, into this soft sort of frown.

She turned around, facing the sea, one hand gripping the railing.

"Really?" Abbey whispered.

Smiling softer now, Guarnere clapped her shoulder.

"Straight up truth, Abbey".

Her eyes scanned the dark sea before her.

"At six in the morning, the fishermen come home and-"

"yeah…you've told us, Abbey". Guarnere reminded her.

Sighing, he followed Abbey and faced the sea.

"Those nutty fishermen, huh? You like watching them, don't you?"

Abbey nodded; eyes bright with wonder.

"Maybe…maybe we'll see them". She whispered, "I remember all their names".

"Oh, I didn't realise you was that close to them".

Abbey shook her head.

"I'm not". She mumbled, "but they call out to one another; Steve, Brian, Cook, Jason, Martin, Thomas, Callum and Richard".

Guarnere pulled a face.

"Right?" He was a little confused.

Abbey rubbed her lips together.

"Steve and Brian man the Helena boat. Cook and Jason sail the Martha Sweetheart. Martin and Thomas set sail every third day with Bright and Blue. Then Callum and Richard move out at exactly six in the morning every second day with Code Seven".

Guarnere figured she could have been making all of this up.

But she also had no reason to lie.

And he was still frowning.

"You remember all that?"

Abbey nodded.

"Yes". She said quietly, "I remember everything".

Blinking, he gave his head a shake and leaned against the railings.

"What else?" Guarnere asked, with a little shrug.

She shook her head.

"Nothing, really". Abbey mumbled. "I remember that your dad is a tailor. Earnest can't read or write; you don't hear from him. Henry is in Africa. And you have ten brothers and sisters, you're the youngest".

"Everyone knows that".

But Guarnere then laughed.

"But I didn't tell you all that, huh?"

Abbey shook her head.

He snorted, "were you spying?"

"No". She whispered, "I just heard you".

There was a moment of sweet silence.

A little breeze washed their faces, stinging their cheeks.

"I like you, Abbey". Guarnere told her quietly, "little odd but – hey, I'm nutty too, huh?"

She bobbed her head.

"Yes. I agree. You are nutty".

Chuckling, he gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"Come on, they're serving chow".

Abbey pulled a face.

"What is it?"

…

It was boiled fish and tomatoes, all mixed in a barrel.

The smell alone would make you sick, but the sight of the cooks stained clothes, made you sicker. It was horrible. And to make things worse, they had to ration their water because supplies on this ship for fresh water and very low.

Getting down the stairs was a challenge in itself.

The metal stairs went all the way down and they were thick with slippery grease.

Abbey ate the food because Toye told her to.

She wasn't happy about it; no one was.

It was cramped down there, Abbey felt closed in and tight.

So, she ate the meal quickly, just so she could get out of there.

But it didn't matter where she went, Abbey was always bumping into someone. They had hammocks to sleep on, which they had to share with one another person. They were stacked up, five hammocks on each side, leaving a small strip in the middle.

"Top and tail, Abbey?"

She frowned.

Jackson grinned, "top and tail, you know? We sleep next to each other's feet".

Abbey tried to visualise what Jackson had just suggested to her.

"Your feet will be in my face". She said.

He nodded, "yeah, that's right".

Still frowning, she looked towards the hammock.

"Okay".

"How's your eye?"

Abbey shrugged, while she sat on the edge of the hammock, taking off her boots.

Jackson sat next to her, doing the same.

"This is pretty hellish". Malarkey muttered, from the hammock next to them.

Skip looked down, from the hammock above.

"Oh, I don't know, Don…we're at sea, it's sort of like an adventure".

"You know, they never fucking mentioned this". Malarkey went on, "the navy, huh?"

"The navy's worse".

"How would you know?"

Skip shrugged, "hell, they do this all the time, don't they?"

Popeye shuddered, while he walked over to his hammock.

"It's salt water". He said, "the showers are fucking cold salt water".

Guarnere sighed, "there goes my shower".

Sure enough, when Abbey lay down on the hammock, Jackson's feet poked out from the blanket. She pulled a face and touched his big toe. Jackson laughed.

"What the hell, Abbey? Are you tickling my feet?"

She pushed his toe again; his foot went under the blanket.

Jackson chuckled again.

"Alright, I take the hint, Abbey".

Things eventually got quiet, while the gentle rocking of the ship put them to sleep.

It was a peaceful first night.

But all hell broke loose the next day.

It was shortly after Sobel's failed attempt for a PT lesson.

They tried but it was far too cramped.

Eventually, the Captain gave up and walked away from his Company.

Just after breakfast, Abbey got up and was about to head for the stairs.

That same guy who had punched her poured water over her head; salt water from the showers. Normally, she wouldn't have cared – not that much, not anymore. But because Abbey was stuck inside this tin can until it reached Liverpool, she lashed out.

"You fucking arse!"

Abbey screamed, tackling him to the ground.

"You're a fucking arse!"

Her voice cracked and sounded hoarse.

Abbey punched him, right on the nose and then the cheek.

She wanted to keep punching him, until she no longer felt so frustrated. Because Abbey could only see red, she could practically taste the rage, which sat on the tip of her tongue. And the men had gathered a circle, watching this fight take place. The men from Easy, however, they wanted it to end.

But it wasn't Toye, Guarnere, Jackson or Liebgott to pull her off.

It was Winters.

The Lieutenant took hold of her shoulder, pulling her away from the guy on the floor. And he looked up at them, looking mildly surprised. Blood was dripping from his nostrils and his cheek was red and would probably bruise the following day. But Abbey, still breathing heavily, eyes stinging with frustration, continued to stare back at him.

Still keeping a hand on her shoulder, Winters turned her around.

The mess room was quiet, while he led her up the stairs.

It was a very quiet walk up towards the deck.

Abbey's heavy breathing was their only sound.

Winters opened the door, a gush of fresh air blasted right at Abbey.

And her whole body relaxed.

Abbey stepped onto the wooden deck, heading straight for the railings, so she could see the ocean. Rubbing her lips together, she climbed up a few bars and grabbed the top. Winters was soon standing next to her, leaning against the top of the railing.

She appeared a lot calmer now, Winters noted.

Going from one hundred to zero.

Abbey removed one hand from the railing and touched the top of her head.

God, her hair was soaked.

"I think the sun might dry that up, trooper".

Winters voice was warm, kind and calm.

"How about we stay up here for a bit, huh?"

Abbey's hand dropped back towards the railing.

She gave him a tiny nod.

Taking this moment, Abbey admired the ocean with the sun beating down against the surface. The water sparkled, glistened and looked good enough to dive right in. But then, something amazing happened; a dolphin jumped up.

Abbey's eyes softened.

Winters smiled, "well, would you look at that".

Soon, more and more dolphins leapt out of the ocean and dove back inside.

Abbey watched them; she couldn't believe she was seeing this.

"I like dolphins, sir". She mumbled.

"Yeah, me too". He responded quietly.

Abbey rubbed her lips together, hands gripping the railing tightly.

"I won't punch him again, sir".

Winters gave a little nod.

"I know, trooper. I believe you".

She continued to watch the pod of dolphins.

Abbey's lips twitched.

They were so lovely and free. They looked shinny under the sun, while they talked to one another, probably planning on going hunting. Abbey found them to be fascinating. Mathew used to tell her that dolphins were the worlds friendliest animal.

"Dolphins like swimming beside ships, sir".

Abbey broke the silence.

It startled Winters a little.

"They often synchronize their movements with one another. Some believe that dolphins conserve energy swimming alongside ships…I think they just like seeing us, sir".

Winters smiled.

"Yeah?"

Abbey nodded.

"Yes, sir".

"Well…supposedly, they're very playful animals". He mused, "perhaps you're right".

"There are thirty dolphins swimming beside our ship". Abbey mumbled, "ten of them joined within five minutes, sir".

Winters snorted softly, shaking his head.

"Must be a popular group, huh?"

Abbey leaned against the top railing.

She bit down on her bottom lip, trying to work out how to word things.

Because Abbey didn't like lashing out, no one would.

It made her feel tired at the end of it and just so frustrated.

She looked down at her knuckle, which looked red and cut-up.

"It's not nice letting you down, sir". Abbey whispered.

Winters frowned and looked at her.

"It wasn't nice having Jackson and Liebgott fight that guy yesterday, sir".

She looked up from her knuckle, staring back down towards the dolphins.

He cleared his throat.

"Well – they're your friends, trooper. I think they wanted to stick up for you".

Abbey frowned a little.

Winters shrugged, "it's kind of what friends do".

_ Friends? _

Of course, she wouldn't have known that.

"But as for today's incident…well, it could have gone better". Winters said, "I understand that things are a little tense down there, Abbey. It's overcrowded and it's not in the best conditions".

It was agreeable.

The conditions were terrible.

Abbey felt a lot calmer when she joined the men again.

Winters escorted her back down the ship, she took a seat on the hammock with Jackson, who was lying down, hand going over his sick belly. Liebgott took the spot beside her and brought something out from behind his back. Silently, he placed it on her lap.

Frowning, Abbey looked down.

Her mouth opened slightly, in shock.

It was her book.

The Hobbit.

Abbey picked up the book, holding it towards her chest.

Liebgott smiled a little and wrapped his arm around her.

"Don't ask". He told her quietly, "I found it".

Blinking a few times, she looked at him.

And met his eyes.

"Thank you". She whispered.

Lips twitching again, Liebgott nodded.

"Okay".

…

Albert Docks.

On the 15th of September, the Samaria docked in Liverpool.

Abbey and the rest of Easy were on the deck, watching the ship enter the docks. Men were below, guiding the ship in towards the dock. They were shouting, waving their hats and grabbing very long and thick ropes, to tie the ship down.

A series of butterflies bubbled in her stomach.

Abbey felt a little sick.

She couldn't believe she was seeing Albert Docks again, after being away from it for over a year now. Abbey had missed it so much at the start but not so much anymore. Still, it was still a shock seeing home again. Abbey was standing on the railings, leaning against the top. Blithe was next to her, Jackson on her other side.

"This is home, huh?" Jackson whispered.

Abbey gave a tiny nod.

"Sure is something, Abbey". Blithe commented quietly, "lot of badly hit buildings".

She nodded again, eyes gazing towards the badly hit buildings, businesses and houses.

Abbey felt that little knot in her stomach again, like when the sirens went off before the Germans bombed her city. Biting down on her lip, she pulled her eyes away from the hurt city and soon found that same spot she would often go to. From there, she saw the boats.

Taking in sharp breath, Abbey gripped the railings tightly.

It made her feel strange, seeing it again.

Abbey felt her chest grow a little tighter.

She climbed down from the railings and walked away.

Seeing home again was an odd experience.

Abbey didn't expect to feel something, she expected to feel nothing, much like when she left. But it was different now, Abbey had changed since joining Easy Company. She beginning to understand things a bit better, after being around those men every second of the day. The only time she didn't see them, was when she slept. But even then, Abbey would dream about training and the likes.

Everything was different now.


	13. Chapter 12

On the 17th of September, they woke up.

The Nissan huts were bright, when the sun came through the tiny cracks between the wood on the sides. The men inside this hut, were sleeping on straw mattresses with blankets covering their tired and worn bodies from the journey here. But outside the hut, birds were singing, the bell from the church was ringing and the little village was awake.

Abbey sat up and rubbed her eyes.

She could see the men starting to wake up, grumbling about the light.

Getting onto her feet, Abbey walked down the strip and opened the door. Stepping outside, her bare feet was met with warm and dry grass. Purple, pink and yellow flowers scattered around their little corner of the village, with bees, which were busy collecting nectar. It was quiet, the men weren't up yet.

Abbey walked towards a white fence and could see the village square.

Leaning against the four-foot fence, she saw a large shire horse, pulling a cart full of vegetables and fruits. Locals started to emerge from their cottages, which had thatched roofs and neat little flower boxes by their windows, with thick green vines, stretching up the side of the houses.

It was like something from a fairy-tale book.

Everything was so neat, tidy and cute.

The locals greeted each other, like they were family.

They were happy, smiley and chatty.

Abbey looked at her watch; it was just after six.

"Jesus".

"Where the hell are we?"

Toye and Guarnere soon stepped outside.

They both walked over to Abbey, who was still leaning against the fence.

"Must be Aldbourne, huh?" Guarnere mumbled.

"It's nice". Abbey mumbled softly, "I like it".

Toye nodded.

"Yeah…sure is different". He said quietly, "look at the size of that fucking horse".

"Sure is big". Guarnere added, "pulling that cart along cobbled roads as well".

"Must be pretty strong".

The horse continued to walk down the road, with its owner sitting atop of the cart, steering his giant beast with long and leather reins. He looked at the three troopers and flicked the top of his hat.

"Morning, lads!" He greeted, "beautiful day we're having".

Guarnere grinned, "yeah! Morning".

"Hey – nice horse you got there!" Toye called, "what's he called?"

"He!" The old man exclaimed, "this is my Beth! Ain't she a beauty?"

"Sure is, sir!"

Abbey's face softened.

A tiny smile reached her lips.

"It's like magic". She whispered.

The horse and owner walked down towards another part of the street and soon, was out of sight. Toye placed his hand on Abbey's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Come on – let's get them up".

That morning, they had a lecture on how to behave properly and what the British were eating in this village and everywhere else. Of course, Abbey knew all of this, she was British after all, but it was interesting seeing everyone's reactions. The men would respect this village and they'd save all their hell raising for the cities. London, being the top priority.

When the lecture ended, they headed to one of the two pubs.

The Crown.

The bartender was drying off a large pint glass when they walked inside.

It was fairly quiet, with a few old men sitting at the counter, drinking their beer.

Abbey noticed a few interesting things on the wall.

She ended up walking away from the group, allowing her curiosity to wonder.

Standing on the balls of her feet, she reached up and touched the inside of a deer's mouth. Above the deer head, was a shotgun, which rested on two hooks. Then, she moved towards a painting, which hung on the wall. It was a large painting of the church.

"My grandad painted that".

Abbey stilled.

The guy behind her chuckled quietly.

"Didn't mean to startle you".

Slowly, she turned around and looked up.

It was a man.

Maybe thirty-years-old.

He had dark hair, light eyes and freckles on his nose.

"I'm Charlie". He greeted, "what's your name?"

Rubbing her lips together, Abbey's eyes moved away from his.

"Abbey". She mumbled.

Charlie smiled, "don't see that every day. Why're you fighting with the Yanks?"

Abbey shrugged.

And he waited a few seconds for an answer.

Charlie didn't get one.

He frowned a little, "well…you like the painting?"

Abbey turned back around, facing the painting again.

She nodded.

"It's nice". She whispered, "your grandad painted it".

Charlie crossed his arms and nodded.

"He died a few years ago. He's done a lot of paintings. Perhaps you'd like to see them?"

Abbey would. Her eyes needed to see more.

"Where?" She asked.

Charlie licked his bottom lip.

"My house". He told her, "I could take you there now".

She nodded.

Abbey turned back around, spotting Toye, Liebgott and a few others sitting in the corner of the pub. They had a pint of beer each and they weren't impressed. It was hot beer. The bartender would fill a barrel of beer and stick a piping hot red poker into the barrel. It sizzled and smoked when the poker went in to heat up the beer.

They didn't sell cold beer, not here.

Charlie cleared his throat softly.

"Well?"

Abbey figured it would be okay.

"Not too long". She mumbled, "I can go".

Smiling, Charlie placed his hand on her arm.

"It's right this way, Miss Abbey".

It wasn't that she was stupid, Abbey just didn't understand.

The world wasn't black and white, good and evil.

Not to her.

Charlie didn't give her any reason to not trust him and Abbey just wanted to look at more lovely paintings his grandad had created. So, she followed him out of the pub and up the street. Charlie brought out his keys and opened a green door, which blended in with the vines.

The cottage had two windows on the ground floor, three above on the second.

It was just as picturesque as the cottage next to him.

Charlie opened the door, giving her a smile.

"Right this way, Abbey".

She could see the small hallway, which was dark and grey.

Abbey placed her hand on the front door.

And she was about to step inside, when someone called her name.

"Abbey! Get over here!"

Frowning, she looked over her shoulder.

It was Lipton.

Charlie cleared his throat, with a tiny sigh.

"Perhaps another day, Miss Abbey?"

But Lipton started walking quickly towards them.

"Who are you?"

He asked, while placed his hand on Abbey's shoulder.

Charlie gave him an easy smile.

"I only wanted to show her my grandad's paintings. She enjoyed the one in the Crown".

Lipton looked away from him, staring down at Abbey.

"You okay, Abbey?"

She gave him a nod.

"Yes. I'm not hurt". She mumbled softly.

Lipton sighed quietly.

And he looked back at Charlie, "stay away from her".

He huffed softly, "I meant her no harm-"

"I don't care". Lipton muttered, "stay the hell away from her".

Clearing his throat, Charlie nodded.

"Very well". He then looked back at Abbey, "lovely to meet you, Miss Abbey".

Abbey was confused and didn't reply.

Lipton, hand still on her shoulder, led her away from the cottage.

Charlie watched them walk away.

The Sargent sighed, looking at her again.

"Abbey why did you follow him?"

Her eyebrows twitched.

"I wanted to see more paintings".

Lipton shook his head.

"Abbey, you don't him know. He could have hurt you".

She looked up at him, catching his concerned eyes.

Abbey frowned.

"I'm sorry, Lip". She whispered, "I won't worry you again like that".

And she truly meant that, he could tell.

Lipton smiled a little and gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"Thanks, buddy".

It wasn't a nice feeling, worrying Lipton like that.

Abbey would just need to try harder.

She was nineteen now, Abbey would just need to leave some curiosity by the door.

…

It was back to training six-days a week.

Eight to ten hours a day.

They went on hikes, night operations, more close combat.

Street fighting was interesting.

Toye had his squad gathered around him, for a briefing.

It was simple, they had to take down from Guarnere's squad.

Their squad leader was excited, he rubbed his hands together a lot.

"Abbey, sneak up and jump Skip".

She frowned.

"What?"

Toye made a gesture.

"Jump up behind him and take him down, kid!"

"What about us?" Jackson asked.

"We'll take out Bill, Malarkey and Eddie – Lieb, get rid of Penk. Nelson, you get Freeman".

Abbey peeked around the corner.

They had set-up a town, used for training exercises.

It was great; they had buildings, houses, walls, barns – all sorts.

Abbey could see Skip by the barn.

Spectating this event between the two squads was of course, Sobel and their Platoon leaders. Squad to squad fighting was the most exciting part of training. But this was purely street fighting. No weapons needed, just their bodies. The only weapons they were allowed to set off were smoke grenades, that was solely used to create a distraction.

But Toye didn't think they'd need one.

"The flags inside the barn". He told them quietly, "once Abbey gets it, we'll take care of the rest".

If Toye's squad got the flag and brought it back to their base, they had won the game.

Simple and fun as that.

Hiding behind the bushes, their Platoon Sargent gave them the signal to start.

Toye gave his guys a nod.

"Good luck". He grinned, "let's kick some ass".

Nelson smirked, "you're fucking insane, Joe".

The squad broke apart, very discreetly.

Abbey moved from their current base, towards the farm house.

Taking cover behind the wall, she got down on her knees and peeked around the corner.

Skip was standing outside the barn, pacing back and forth.

She'd strike when his back was to her.

Abbey moved slowly, from a barrel, to a haystack, to a cart.

Soon enough, she was close.

Skip faced the cart she was behind.

Abbey held her breath.

Soon, he turned away and walked.

Getting up, Abbey carefully moved closer to him.

Once Skip was reaching the end of the barn doors, Abbey sprinted and quickly jumped on his back, face covering his mouth and nose. Skip dropped his rifle and put his hands up. Letting him go, Skip fell to the ground, playing dead.

"God, you're too sneaky". He mumbled.

Abbey's lips twitched.

She pulled open the barn door and stepped inside.

As soon as it shut, a smoke grenade went off.

A large blast of red and purple blinded her vision.

Coughing, Abbey got onto the ground and crawled under the smoke. That was a neat trick, it caught her off guard completely. But she was inside, the flag wouldn't be too far away from her.

Abbey continued to crawl, until she reached the back of the barn.

Getting onto her feet, she rubbed her eyes.

The flag was placed onto one of the beams, on the top of the barn.

Sighing, Abbey looked around her, soon spotting a ladder.

It was her only shot of grabbing that flag.

Stepping over piles of hay, rakes and brooms, Abbey soon reached the wooden ladder. Grabbing the sides, she stepped onto the first step – her foot went right through. Biting her bottom lip, she retracted her foot and stepped back from the ladder.

It was weak and probably old.

Abbey decided to take off her boots, jacket and her jumper underneath.

She figured it would be safer, if she was that little bit lighter.

Once the items were stripped, Abbey grabbed the sides of the ladder and stepped onto the second step. Her foot didn't go through, she proceeded to climb up. The ladder creaked but it didn't fall apart, and she reached the top safely.

Once at the top, Abbey stepped onto one of the beams.

The drop was long, if she fell, she'd surely break both legs.

Abbey carefully walked across the beam, arms out to the side.

When she reached the end, she sat down, leg on either side.

Abbey took the flag in her hands and tied it around her waist.

Getting back onto her feet, she walked back along the beam and soon reached the ladder. But her foot slipped and knocked against the ladder, it fell back, crashing onto the ground. Abbey was about to curse but she ended up losing her balance and fell side-ways.

Letting out a scream, she quickly grabbed the beam with both hands.

Eyes wide, Abbey swallowed.

She was in trouble now.

Abbey could have called the game off and scream for Skip. But they'd lose and Sobel would punish her for cutting the game short. So, while dangling from the beam, Abbey took in a few deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart from almost falling.

Biting her lip, she began to pull herself up.

Grunting, huffing and gasping.

It took her five attempts before she managed.

Abbey let out a long breath when she reached the top of the beam.

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she looked around for another exit.

There was one, a small flat window leading to the roof.

Abbey had no other choice.

She continued to move across the beam, which took her towards the other side of the barn. When she reached a small ledge, Abbey got up and tried to open the window, but it wouldn't budge, it was sealed shut. Grunting, she rubbed her lips together, trying to find another alternative.

Abbey untied the flag and wrapped it around her hand.

She punched the glass.

And it clattered all around her. The glass was old, weak and ready to break. Abbey cleared the rest of the glass from the windows entrance and soon, she pushed herself up and out of the small window. She had missed one small piece of glass, which sliced her cheek.

Abbey hissed but ignored the pain, she just wanted to get on this roof.

The roof was not safe; not at all.

The wood wasn't stable, it creaked, and she could feel it breaking.

Abbey got onto her feet, carefully making her way towards the edge.

Sitting back down, she slid the rest of the way and stopped once reaching the drainage. There was a pipe, right next to her and from there, Abbey could see the curious officers staring at her. Skip was still lying on the ground, arms out in front of him.

She tied the flag back around her waist.

Abbey turned around, facing the window.

She moved towards the pipe.

Grabbing the pipe, her legs soon dangled down from the roof.

They moved from side to side, until her feet touched the pipe.

Abbey placed her feet on the side of the pipe, making sure the grip was tight enough, before she placed more of her weight onto the pipe. And very slowly, she moved completely away from the roof and was now on the pipe, about to climb down the barn,

However, the pipe started to fall back.

Abbey screamed again.

She could see the bolts holding the pipe in place, ping off from the barn.

"Oh, shit!"

Skip was no longer playing dead.

"Abbey!"

"Skip – you are supposed to be dead!"

Abbey continued to slide down, despite the pipe coming apart.

Skip shook his head, eyes growing wide.

"Abbey – come on, I'll catch you!"

"No!" She yelled back, "we're still playing-"

"are you crazy?!"

Abbey looked down; she was almost hallway.

Looking back up again, she continued to slide down the pipe.

More bolts pinged, almost hitting her in the eye.

"Yes!" Abbey said, "lie back down!"

"Jesus Christ!"

By the time she was three-feet from the ground, the pipe had enough.

It fell, Abbey was still clinging to it.

But before it reached the bottom, she let go and fell.

Abbey quickly rolled off to the side, pipe just missing her.

Breathing heavily, she watched the pipe clash onto the ground.

That was close.

Still staring at the pipe.

Abbey slowly got onto her feet.

Then, she grinned and laughed.

Skip, who was still standing up, stared at her.

He thought she might have lost her mind.

But it was amazing, he had never heard her laugh before.

And soon, Skip was laughing with her.

"Where the fuck are your boots?!"

"In there".

Abbey's laughter stopped, cutting off too early.

Sighing, she untied the flag from her waist.

"See you, Skip". She mumbled quietly.

Smiling, Skip nodded and lay back down.

"Bye, Abbey".

Abbey started running back through their little town and she reached the base.

Toye and the rest were there, waiting for her.

"Oh, good you – what the fuck happened?!"

Toye placed his hand on her face, looking at her cut cheek.

Abbey shook her head.

"It's a long story".

When Diel saw they had captured the flag, the game was called off.

"Good job, 1st squad". Winters smiled at them, "congratulations".

"Thank you, sir".

They chorused back.

Toye was still fussing over her cheek.

He tutted again, while pressing a piece of fabric against the cut.

"Christ, Abbey". He mumbled, "it was only supposed to be a damn game".

"I've had worse". She whispered, "but thank you for caring".


	14. Chapter 13

A vent was constantly rattling.

It was almost annoying as a loud, ticking clock.

Very slowly, her eyes began to open.

But they closed soon after. The light felt too bright; it caused her head to hurt.

Abbey placed her hand above her eyes, blinking them open again.

With her eyes slightly shielded, she turned her head to the side.

Then, her breathing picked up, from her racing heart.

_ Bars? _

Abbey sat up, very quickly. The earth started to spin.

Sighing, she placed her head into her hands and groaned.

_ What was going on? _

Abbey managed to contain the sickening feeling in her stomach and pulled her hands away. She was behind bars, thick, metal bars, with a giant lock. Rubbing her lips together, she scooted towards the bars and gave it a tiny pull.

The lock rattled; she was stuck inside.

"Abbey?"

Eyes widening, she looked behind her.

It was a white wall.

"Bill?" She whispered.

"We got locked up". Guarnere grumbled, "we're in the slammer".

Abbey frowned.

She couldn't remember a thing from last night.

Guarnere cleared his throat, "man, I feel like shit".

"Why are we here?" Abbey mumbled, slowly getting onto shaky legs.

She moved towards the lock, hand going through the bars.

Guarnere sighed.

"Well, we hit up London. Got too drunk, got into a fight and got locked up".

"Just us?"

"Yup".

Abbey looked down at her knuckles.

Sure enough, they were bruised.

"Shit". She whispered.

"Don't worry". Guarnere said, "I'll get us out".

Abbey's finger nail went into to the lock.

"How?" She mumbled. "We are locked in".

"Not for long".

Abbey took a step back from the locked cell.

She placed a finger up towards her chin.

And then, she reached up and touched her hair.

She had a pin – a tiny hair clip.

Abbey took the clip out from her hair.

It was thin, black and it might just work.

"Bill?"

"What?"

Abbey walked up towards the bar again, sliding her arm through.

"Can you reach my hand?"

Guarnere moved towards the bars.

"Yeah-"

"grab the clip".

He chuckled and took the clip from her hand.

"This might work, Abbey".

When he had the pin, she pulled her arm back.

And looked towards the empty desk in front of her.

"The officers are not here".

Guarnere stretched the pin out and began working on the lock.

"Nah – they went out for coffee". He told her, "left the keys as well".

Abbey's eyes landed on the hooks on the wall.

She spotted the large iron keys hanging there.

Then, Abbey spotted the clock.

It was six in the morning.

She rubbed her forehead, feeling rubbish.

"Fuck". Guarnere hissed, "this ain't working".

Biting her lower lip, Abbey looked around her cell.

Her lips soon twitched.

She spotted the vent.

Abbey moved towards the front of the cell and saw the other vent, which was hanging right above the desk. Moving back, stood up on the metal toilet and climbed onto the barred window sill. Reaching up, Abbey grabbed the grates from the vent and gave it a hard tug.

Guarnere frowned.

"Abbey?"

"I found a vent". She said, pulling it again. "Its entrance is by the desk".

Guarnere looked towards the desk.

He grinned.

"You're a fucking genius, Abbey".

But Abbey frowned, she couldn't get the grate off.

It was nailed in.

Sighing, she jumped back down from the window sill.

"Bill – hand me the hair clip back".

Abbey placed her arm through the bars again.

Guarnere placed the clip back into her hand.

"How do I create a screwdriver?"

"Estimate the size of the nails, double it up, I stretched it out". Guarnere instructed her.

Abbey was standing back on the window sill again.

She tried to use the clip against the nail, doubling it back up again.

It was working.

Abbey smiled a little.

"I've got it, Bill".

Guarnere chuckled.

"Jesus, Abbey – alright, be careful up there, huh? Go slowly – but hurry as well".

"Okay".

When all the nails were out, Abbey took off the grate.

It landed on the ground.

Placing her hands on the edge of the vent, she pulled herself up.

The vent was small, but she would fit.

Abbey got her body into the vent and started to carefully shuffle forwards.

It was loud, Guarnere looked up, keeping track of her movements.

The smell was damp and musky inside this vent.

The more Abbey went, the worse it got.

She ended up face first into a spider's web, spider still in the sticky nest.

Abbey let out a tiny scream, while she slapped the spider away.

It crawled down her face, heading for her neck.

She started shift and squirm, trying to reach the spider.

"Abbey!" Guarnere hissed, "hey – you good?"

"Spider". She called back, "Bill, it's down my shirt".

He shook his head, pulling a face.

"Fuck the spider, Abbey – get going!"

Guarnere was right, she'd just need to ignore it.

Shuddering, Abbey continued through the vent.

It seemed spiders were her own enemy during this small adventure. That, and the constant creaking and squeaking from her movements. It could have failed at any moment, but the vent held for her and she soon made it into the officer. Abbey moved around, until her feet were pressed up against the grate.

She could get it open with one giant kick.

And, letting out a grunt.

Abbey kicked that grate and it crashed onto the ground.

Heading out feet first, Abbey lowered herself and landed on the desk.

Guarnere grinned.

"Hey, Abbey".

She looked towards him.

"Hi". Abbey whispered, "I will get the keys now".

"Good idea". He smirked, "where's that spider?"

She shuddered again.

"I will not think about it".

Abbey grabbed the keys and ran over to Guarnere.

That was the easier part, letting him out.

Once she unlocked the cell, Guarnere opened it and stepped outside.

Smiling, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Ready to run, Abbey?"

Abbey looked up at him.

"Run?" She frowned.

Chuckling, Guarnere opened the station door.

Outside, just heading across the road, were the two officers on guard.

"You there!" One of them yelled, "stop!"

Abbey frowned.

"Oh, dear".

Guarnere grinned, "let's go!"

They both bolted down the streets, while the sun started to fully greet the day.

It was going to be a lovely morning.

Guarnere and Abbey managed to lose the police officers pretty quickly.

And soon, they both headed to the bus station, to take them back into Aldbourne.

Guarnere brought out a cigarette, lighting it up.

While Abbey leaned against the bus stop sign, rubbing her sore head.

"We did good, huh?" Guarnere said.

Lips twitching, Abbey nodded.

"See, Abbey?" He said quietly, "there ain't nothing wrong with being a bit nutty, huh?"

"You honestly think that?"

He nodded, one hand going into his pocket.

"You bet it, Abbey". He said, "best people are the nutty ones, thinking outside the box and all".

Abbey looked at him.

"What do you think is wrong with me?" She mumbled.

Guarnere's eyebrows twitched, forming a tiny frown.

"Fuck – nothing". He said softly, "nothing's wrong with you, Abbey".

Abbey swallowed, looking away from him again.

"You're the first person who has ever said that".

Guarnere sighed.

"The world would be fucking boring, if we was all the same".

Abbey's face softened.

He continued, "the way I see it, you never find a fella like the one next to you".

Guarnere then grinned.

"Or a girl like you, Abbey".

She smiled a little.

"Shit – I ain't ever had a friend like you". Guarnere mumbled, "and I ain't getting sentimental about it neither, alright? It's just how it is, Abbey. You're my friend".

Abbey felt something warm bubble in her stomach.

And she felt her eyes sting a little.

Blinking, Abbey looked down at her boots.

"Yes. You are my friend too".

…

It was raining.

The rain fell hard and fast, soaking someone after only standing in it for a few seconds. And Abbey had been in the rain all day, she was positively soaked to the bone. But they had a field exercise, which went on for over two days, they all got caught in the rain. However, Abbey had to trail back into the forest, to retrieve the map Sobel had "accidently" left behind.

He was in a mean mood that day.

And Abbey was unlucky enough to be picked.

Thankfully, it didn't take her nearly as long as the exercise.

Abbey was back in Aldbourne that same night.

"Abbey!"

She stopped and turned around.

Charlie was standing outside his front door.

"Are you okay?!"

Abbey nodded.

He smiled.

"Would you like to see my grandad's paintings now?!"

Biting down on her lip, she shook her head.

Charlie was still smiling.

"Are you sure? You look cold!"

Abbey frowned a little.

_ "He could hurt you". _

Rubbing her lips together, she shook her head again.

Charlie gave an easy shrug.

"Maybe another day?!"

"Right!"

Swallowing, she faced the front and started walking again.

But the rain was pounding so hard, she didn't hear the footsteps rush behind her.

A hand was soon placed on her shoulder, halting her.

"Are you sure?"

Abbey felt her body stiffen.

She didn't like this.

"Yes". Abbey mumbled.

Charlie's breath brushed against her neck.

"You don't sound sure". He said, directly into her ear.

Abbey's frown furthered; the map was now in a tight grip.

"Let me go-"

"what?" Charlie whispered, with a small chuckle.

Her jaw clenched.

"Let me go". Abbey repeated, firmly this time.

Huffing softly, Charlie shook his head.

"Oh, Abbey". He murmured, "why would I do that?"

His grip tightened.

"I think you should come with me now". He said lowly, "don't you?"

Abbey shook her head.

No, she didn't want to go into his house.

Charlie hummed.

"I thought you wanted to see the paintings?"

He even sounded a little hurt.

"I thought you cared, Abbey?"

Abbey could see the huts.

She could see the shadows move from inside, from the fire inside the pot-belly stoves.

One scream, they'd hear her.

And Abbey opened her mouth, prepared to scream.

But Charlie's hand quickly covered her mouth.

"Don't be difficult". He practically purred, "just come inside my house".

Abbey's lips pressed into a thin lip.

This felt so wrong.

She needed to get away from him and quickly.

Lifting her right boot, it soon came crashing onto his foot.

Charlie stumbled; hand now removed from her mouth.

Abbey screamed.

"Help!"

And she leapt forward, about to make a run for it.

But Charlie grabbed her around the waist, pushing her onto the ground.

The back of her head smacked against the cobbled road.

Abbey felt dizzy; the world got a little fuzzy for a few moments.

But it was clear enough to see Charlie on top of her, face inches from her.

"You silly girl". He whispered, "why are you running, hm?"

Abbey shifted, "get off-"

"ah, no shouting".

"Get off!"

Charlie's face scrunched up into anger.

That calm composure long forgotten about.

He grabbed the side of her head, before forcing it back onto the ground again.

"Don't fucking shout". He spat, "if you shout again, I'll kill you".

Abbey's eyes shut in agony.

Her head hurt so much; ears ringing and pounding.

She was dizzy again, close to passing out.

Charlie smiled.

But it was so bitter.

"I'll keep you safe, Abbey". He said, "I can look after you".

Her stomach twisted.

It made her feel sick.

But Abbey had been in this position before, with Cobb.

And her eyes sparked, before she kneed him in the gut.

Charlie's position had started to crumble.

She then screamed and kneed him in the groin.

He gasped and curled up into a ball on the ground.

Abbey staggered onto her feet, hand going to the back of her head. She could feel blood; he had almost split her head open. Coughing, Abbey leaned over and vomited. He gave her a slight concussion however, which was almost bad enough.

"You – bitch!"

Charlie's foot caught her boot, Abbey fell over again.

She landed on her hands.

He grabbed her ankle, pulling her back.

Screaming again, Abbey started to kick out, boot smacking into his nose.

But it didn't stop him, Charlie was just that desperate.

"Just do as you're told!"

Abbey's fingernails dug into the cobbled stones, trying to stop this maniac from dragging her towards him. Charlie was strong, he was a lot bigger than she was. But Abbey was smarter. She kicked him in the face again, harder this time.

Charlie's entire face moved back.

The grip on her ankle was released.

"Joe!" Abbey screamed. "Joe!"

Slowly, she started to get back onto her feet.

But her knees buckled, sending her back down again.

Abbey groaned, while things blurred and swirl together.

"Help…". She mumbled weakly.

_ "Abbey, no!" _

Blinking heavily, the side of her face pressed against the cold and wet cobbled stones.

_ "Abbey, stay back!"_

Before her eyes closed, she felt someone grab her.

And she heard her mother scream.


	15. Chapter 14

"Yeah, here's mine".

"Thanks".

It was quiet inside the hut, while the two squads recovered from an intense two-day field exercise. They were only missing Abbey, who had been targeted by Sobel.

Toye rubbed his hands together, "fucking cold tonight, huh?"

"I'm putting on the other fire". Guarnere said.

Liebgott shook his head.

He stared at the door.

"We 'gotta go back and get her".

Jackson frowned.

"Yeah, I'm with you, Lieb".

Toye looked at his two guys. He felt bad about it as well.

"Come on, she'll be alright". He told them, "it's Abbey we're talking about. She's fine".

"Joe, it's fucking pissing it down". Nelson said, "she'll be cold".

"It's rain, Nelly". Toye pointed it, "not 'gonna fucking kill her".

Guarnere poked the other fire before closing the small door.

He picked up the rest of the clothes, beginning to hang them up.

Skip brought out a cigarette, "Sobel was just looking to pick on someone-"

"yeah, and Abbey was just standing in the wrong place". Malarkey added.

Penkala shook his head, "he's one mean son of a bitch".

Something caught Jackson's attention.

He frowned again, staring towards the wall.

Jackson moved towards the wall, almost standing on Skip.

"Hey – watch it, pal!"

"Sorry…I thought I heard something". He murmured.

Malarkey snorted, "don't go losing your mind, Jack".

He shook his head, "nah – I – I thought I heard a scream".

"Then we'd all hear it". Skip commented, lighting up his cigarette. "You're just tired, Jack".

Guarnere and Toye were trying to sort out their squads.

But the rain and the fact that Abbey was still out there, put them on edge.

The 1st squad leader was helping Guarnere hang up their OD's.

It would take all night for them to dry off.

_ "Joe!" _

Tilting his head to the side, Toye frowned.

He stilled, hands still grasping the shirt he was about to hang up.

The call out for his name was very faint, getting lost in the rain and wind.

But Toye could have sworn, he had heard it.

Guarnere gave him a nudge.

"Hey, get this up, huh?"

Blinking, he nodded.

"Right".

But a few seconds later, Toye heard it again.

_ "Joe!" _

It was louder this time.

And he got onto his feet, shirt slowly falling onto the ground.

Toye looked towards the door.

"1st squad – on me!" He ordered, while grabbing his rifle.

"Joe?" Nelson asked quietly. "What's going on?"

Toye opened the door, "it's Abbey – let's go!"

Guarnere shook his head.

They weren't going without them.

"Come on, guys. Let's go!"

So, the two squads from the hut all moved out.

Toye was in the lead, already jumping over the white fence.

When he landed on the other side, his eyes scanned the area.

"Abbey!" He yelled.

And Toye was met by silence.

Just the sound of rain, smashing against the cobbled streets and roads.

He didn't like it.

Toye knew something was wrong, so did Guarnere, who was now standing next to him.

Their eyes were met with heavy rain and darkness.

"What do we think, pal?" Guarnere asked.

Toye shook his head, with a tiny frown.

"I 'dunno, Bill".

It was quiet, while they all stared out in front of them, eyes scanning the road and streets.

Toye took hold of his rifle and started moving forwards.

The rest followed after him, keeping their eyes and ears peeled.

Aldbourne felt like a different place now, not the same village they had woken up to that sunny morning on the 17th of September. It was eerie, dark and wet. Their boots slammed into forming puddles, splashing against the falling rain. And they treated this like any other night problem, spread out, in squad formation. As if the enemy would ambush them.

By this point, they all knew Abbey was in trouble.

Toye had heard her, he was sure of it.

And they wouldn't stop looking, until they found her.

Liebgott suddenly raised his hand.

His eyes had spotted something, just a few feet away.

Toye moved over to him.

"What?" He whispered.

"Someone closed a door". He whispered back, "we should check it out".

Guarnere clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth.

"Can we barge in?"

Toye sighed, "shit – I don't know, Bill".

"Abbey could be in there". Liebgott hissed.

But they didn't need to discuss this any further.

Because from inside the house, they all heard movement.

It sounded like someone had knocked something over, like glass or a vase.

Toye got back up, as did the rest.

_ "Joe!" _

The scream was muffled.

But they could hear it.

Toye's eyes widened, filled with rage and panic.

Soon, they were all running towards the green door, which matched the vines.

Of course, Toye tried to open it first.

It was locked.

Taking a step back, he simply kicked the door open and it flew off the hinges. Raising his rifle, Toye and a few others entered the house. They couldn't hear Abbey anymore. And when they walked into the living room, they saw him, with a knife to her throat.

Charlie was shaking, eyes glistening and excited.

He looked mad.

But Abbey was knocked out cold. Charlie had to hold her head and body up.

"She's mine".

Toye placed his finger on the trigger.

"Get your fucking hands off my girl". He said, in a low voice. "Get your hands off her, or I'll shoot you".

The arm wrapped around her waist, tightened.

"No". Charlie said smoothly, "no – no, I'll keep her safe".

"I've got him lined up". Liebgott whispered, "one move, you're fucking dead".

It was a good thing only Guarnere, Toye and Liebgott were inside the house.

Charlie would have been shot as soon as they walked inside.

Guarnere took a step forward.

The blade pressed harder against her throat.

The Sargent stopped.

Charlie soon grinned, "see? We could die together…it would be perfect".

"You're fucking insane". Liebgott whispered, "Jesus Christ-"

"she's…she's everything". He went on, "so timid, precious. And she loves me".

Toye pulled a face.

"You met her once-"

"but I saw her". Charlie said, "almost every day…I love the Hobbit too".

Toye shook his head.

"She don't fucking love you". He muttered, "she probably hates your fucking guts".

"You're wrong!" He yelled, "you're all wrong – get out of my house!"

Toye marched right up to him, the tip of his rifle now pressed against Charlie's forehead.

"Get your hands off her". He spat, through clenched teeth.

"No". Charlie whispered, "you can shoot me, but I won't let go".

He pressed his lips against the top of her head.

"I'll never let her go".

And then, Charlie let out a yell.

Pain hit him hard in the thigh, when a knife suddenly sliced into his skin.

His grip lessened, Abbey elbowed him in the gut, and he fell back.

Breathing heavily, Abbey was soon on top of him.

She took the knife out from his hands, tossing it aside.

And with her own knife, she placed it against his throat.

Charlie looked at her.

"You're awake". He whispered.

"Yes". Abbey mumbled, "and I hate you".

"Then kill me".

Shaking her head, Abbey put her knife away.

She closed her eyes for a moment, suddenly feeling dizzy again.

But Toye had enough.

The end of his rifle came crashing down into Charlie's face, knocking him out.

Abbey swayed and Liebgott quickly caught her, before she fell to the ground.

"She's out cold". He murmured, "Joe – she needs the doc".

Guarnere gave Toye's shoulder a clap.

"Get her back, Joe. Me and guys, we'll take care of this piece of shit".

Toye looked at Charlie once again.

He wanted to kill him.

He could.

But then he saw Abbey and his eyes softened.

Liebgott got up, carrying her in his arms.

"Let's go, Lieb".

Back outside, the guys were relieved to see Abbey.

But worried.

Why wasn't she moving?

"Nelly, get the doc. Jack, grab Winters. We're heading back to the hut".

Everything was rushed.

Once they got inside the hut, Liebgott put her down on one of the beds, while they took off her jacket and boots. Lipton and Diel had soon arrived, helping them out. They moved Abbey closer to the fire, to warm-up her body quicker. She was freezing and she wasn't moving. But she was breathing, that's all they cared about at the moment.

"I knew that guy would hurt her". Lipton muttered, "he gave me a bad feeling".

"It's done, Lip". Toye said lowly, "he won't be bothering her no more".

Roe came in before Winters.

He had his aid kit and he ran straight for his patient. Abbey was still out cold, fast asleep. Roe had to move her head to the side, where he saw a gash in the back. It was a good thing she was sleeping, Roe had to sew her wound back up and it might have been pretty painful if she was awake.

"The bleedings okay". He murmured, in his deep and southern accent. "She'll be alright. It's the shock and the knock that put her to sleep".

Liebgott was sitting behind her, her head on his lap.

"Yeah?" He asked, chewing on his bottom lip. "Yeah – she'll be alright?"

Giving him a comforting smile, Roe nodded.

"She's 'gonna be fine".

The hut remained quiet.

They all looked over at Abbey.

She was still fast asleep and looked peaceful enough at the moment. And they all thought about Charlie and wondered where they'd take him. If he remained in the village, he was dead. Toye and everyone else, would make his life a living hell.

When the hut door opened, everyone jumped a little.

Jackson and Winters walked inside.

"Men". Winters greeted quietly.

"Sir".

The Lieutenant's eyes darted towards Abbey.

Sighing softly, he moved over to her.

"Doc? How's she doing?"

Roe was still sewing her wound up.

"Should be fine, sir". He responded softly, "her head might hurt for a few days, but she'll be okay".

Nodding, Winters sat on the edge of her bed.

His eyes were heavy, filled with concern.

And Jackson was in a state of panic when he came knocking on the Barnes's door. Winters was out of there pretty fast. But he was relieved to see that Abbey was in good hands and his men had taken care of the situation.

"Sir?" Toye asked, "what happened to the guy?"

"Sargent Guarnere escorted him to the station". He replied, "I don't think we'll be seeing him again".

Liebgott swallowed.

"Good".

Winters looked over at him for a moment, before nodding.

"Yeah". He said quietly, "is anyone else hurt?"

"No, sir". Toye told him, "just Abbey". He said, voice very quiet.

Roe finished off the sewing and placed a thick bandage around the back of her head after - once he wiped away the rest of the blood. Now, they just had to wait until she woke up. Even Winters stuck around, they all did. Liebgott didn't move, he had his arms around her, while she snoozed on his lap. Nelson was pacing back and forth. And Jackson was sitting across from them, biting on his lip, with worry.

This only went on for another five or so minutes, but it felt like hours.

Slowly, Liebgott felt a little pinch on his arm.

Looking down, he saw Abbey's fingers twitch.

And then, her lips twitched.

"Joe". Abbey whispered, voice croaky and sore sounding.

Toye's head snapped up.

He quickly walked over to her bed.

"Abbey?" Toye whispered.

Liebgott moved her damp hair, which covered her face.

"It's okay, Abbey". He murmured softly, "we're here".

Taking in a deep breath, she exhaled slowly.

"'Kay". Abbey whispered. "That's…nice".

Jackson choked out a tiny laugh.

Smiling small, Lipton clapped his shoulder.

Roe moved towards her face, checking to see if her eyes were open.

"Abbey?" He called out, "can you open your eyes?"

She took in another deep breath.

"Yes". Abbey mumbled, "they are not hurt".

Roe's lips twitched, "well, how about it, huh?"

It hurt.

Every time they reached the halfway mark, Abbey had to close them again.

"Sore a bit". Abbey slurred.

"Yeah, that's normal". Roe assured her, "try again, come on".

She gripped onto Liebgott's arm.

And slowly, her eyes fully opened.

She could make out Roe's face, which looked calm and friendly.

"Hello". Abbey whispered.

The medic smiled, "hey, Abbey. Good to have you awake, you had them worried".

Her eyebrows pulled together.

"I'm sorry". She mumbled, "I didn't want to worry them".

Liebgott held her tighter.

"Don't be sorry, Abbey". He told her, "that guy was out of his mind".

Her heart raced a little.

Abbey's jaw clenched.

"Where is…is he?"

Winters cleared his throat, "he's gone, trooper".

Frowning again, she sat up.

"Wow – take it easy-"

"sir?"

Abbey swayed a little but remained sitting up.

Winters smiled small and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"You have to rest, Private". He told her, "take it easy, alright?"

She rubbed her lips together, meeting his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant Winters". Abbey whispered, "I tried to fight him off. But he got back up and he grabbed me when I was – well, knocked out".

Toye smirked a little.

"Abbey, you did a good number on his face-"

"yeah, he was already a wreck when we got to him". Nelson added.

When the door opened again, Abbey jumped.

Guarnere and his mortar squad returned.

And they were relieved to see Abbey awake and sitting up.

"Jesus, Abbey". Guarnere muttered, "you gave me a fucking fright".

Winters gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"Let's call it a night". He told them, "get some rest".

Of course, the men didn't rest until they were certain Abbey was okay.

Roe decided to spend the night inside the hut, wanting to keep an eye on her. Toye had almost insisted the same thing. But Abbey was okay, physically, she was fine. Her head did hurt, eyes stung a little but nothing serious. But her brain was confused. She couldn't wrap her mind around what had happened. Charlie desperate to hurt her, and dragging her back to the house.

It wasn't about the paintings. Abbey soon came to realise.

And it scared her to think what would have happened, if the men didn't show up. She was safe inside the hut, with Guarnere's squad and Toye's but it was going to take a while for Abbey to feel safe outside of the Easy.

She and Toye hung up her clothes around the pot-belly stove.

It was a quiet task.

But Abbey was up and moving, as if her head didn't hurt.

Toye wrapped his arm around her when the job was done.

"Get some sleep, Abbey". He said, "been one hell of a night".

Breathing a little heavily, she leaned into his side.

"Thank you for hearing me".

Toye felt something tug on his heart.

"Come on, Abbey". He said quietly, "I'll always fucking hear you, huh?"

Closing her eyes, she nodded, face pressed against his side.

"But what if you didn't?" She whispered.

Toye clenched his jaw, his free hand forming into a fist.

"Then I would find you". He said, "and I'd kill him".

Abbey pulled her face away from his side.

She looked up at him.

"I will always hear you too".

Abbey gave him a tiny smile.

Toye smiled back and nodded.

"I know". He said, "we're a team, Abbey. You're my girl, in my squad. No one like him – is 'gonna fucking hurt you again".

Abbey rubbed her lips together.

She touched the back of her head, feeling the bandage.

Shaking her head, a little, Toye led her back to her bed.

Some of the men were sleeping, most were still awake.

Malarkey and Skip had the radio on quietly.

Soft piano music filled the warm hut, creating a calming vibe.

And Abbey got into bed, feeling more relaxed.

She pulled the blankets over her and lay down on her side.

Toye gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"See you in the morning, Abbey".

"Goodnight, Joe".

And by the next morning, things would go back to normal.

Abbey would return Sobel's map; he would bark out more orders and Abbey was thankful for Sobel that morning because she just wanted to forget about Charlie. Her head did hurt but it was a dull ache that wouldn't leave her for a while.

And the scar would always be there.

Reminding her, of what could have been.

And reminding her, that she had men around her, who she cared for.


	16. Chapter 15

"Okay, you 'wanna stick?"

"Yes".

"Alright – me too".

Abbey put her cards on the table.

"Twenty-one".

Jackson sighed, putting his cards down after.

"Twenty".

"Too bad".

He smirked and picked up the cards.

"Beginners luck, Abbey".

Nelson looked away from the small window and quickly sat down on his bed.

"Joe's coming".

Jackson put the cards away, while Abbey brought out their rifles.

As soon as that door opened, Toye's squad began cleaning their weapons.

Raising an eyebrow, the squad leader closed the door.

"We're leaving tomorrow, 0700". He told them, "get everything ready and clean".

Nelson smiled towards him.

"On it, boss".

Toye shook his head.

"Yeah fucking right".

"Another field exercise, huh?" Liebgott mumbled, "where's it this time, Joe?"

Sighing, Toye made his way towards his bed.

"Not far". He said, "Winters thinks it'll be over that same day".

An awkward silence filled the air, one Toye couldn't be bothered with.

"What?" He almost snapped.

Jackson shrugged, "nothing…we weren't thinking anything, Joe".

"Not a thing". Nelson added quietly.

Setting a few of them a glare, Toye wasn't buying it.

"What is it?" He asked again, "and you better fucking tell me".

He was met by silence.

The only sound was the rain, which hit the roof.

Abbey slowly looked up.

She bit down on her bottom lip.

"Sobel is an arse".

Liebgott and Jackson cracked a smile.

Toye gestured with his hands, "we know that already".

Abbey nodded, looking back down at her rifle.

"And there is a problem". She went on quietly, "he is not a leader".

"He's shit, Joe". Nelson pointed out, "we all know that – how come he's still here?"

Toye pulled a face.

"I don't know, Nelly". He muttered, "cause they won't get rid of him".

Liebgott shook his head, "makes no fucking sense".

Toye looked around at his squad.

They were worried, anyone would be.

Sobel was still jumpy in the field, not much had changed. Tipper didn't even have to misplace things anymore, Sobel got lost all by himself. He wasn't a good leader, but he was good at getting the Company into peak physical shape.

No one wanted to die out there.

And they wanted to fight with the best leader.

"We do not deserve him". Abbey whispered.

Toye looked over at her now.

She was right, Easy didn't deserve to follow Sobel.

Something would need to be done.

"Get everything done". He ordered his squad quietly, "I'll be back to check".

And when he left, the squad continued to clean their gear.

…

Just like they thought, Sobel was late with bringing up 1st Platoon.

So, Winters got 2nd Platoon to cut him and his men off from all sides, creating a surprise ambush attack. Sobel was running up that road, shouting;

"hi-ho silver!"

Not only had he lost but he gave away his position.

And his men were all bunched up together.

It was a mess. However. The men from 1st Platoon had the biggest grins on their faces. And it was all down to George Luz and his amazing talent of impersonating voices. Major Horton, for this one, despite the man being in London. Luz got Sobel to cut the fence, which in turn, caused that heard of cows to escape and move into the peaceful village of Aldbourne.

They all thought it was a great prank – one of the best.

But Sobel wasn't stupid, and he caught on.

However, none of the men would confess who had done it.

The exercise ended; the men were still laughing about the prank.

But a few days later, the laughter stopped.

"We've lost Winters to Battalion mess".

Sargent Diel informed his Platoon.

"His trial for court martial is being looked over-"

"what?" Guarnere pulled a face. "What the hell happened?"

Sighing, Diel shook his head.

"Sobel changed the times for this morning's latrine inspections. Winters was not informed".

"So…he gets a court martial for that?" Jackson frowned.

"No". Diel mumbled, "he had the option of having his weekend pass revoked until December, but Winters didn't take the punishment".

There was a drop in morale.

They couldn't jump without Winters.

When Diel left the hut, Guarnere and Toye went with him.

Abbey rubbed her lips together, staring after them.

They were up to something.

"What the hell do we do now?" Liebgott mumbled, "Sobel's 'gonna kill us out there".

Malarkey, Skip and Penkala moved over to them.

"We heard something". Skip whispered.

Jackson frowned, "what?"

"The Sargent's are planning something". He informed them, "I'm not sure what but-"

"it's pretty serious". Malarkey finished, "they 'wanna turn in their stripes or something".

Nelson's eyes widened a little.

"What?" He hissed, "are you fucking serious? They're 'gonna leave?"

Penkala shrugged, "what we heard anyway".

"From who?" Liebgott asked.

"Bill". Malarkey replied quietly, "Ranney and Harris had it all planned out, for ages".

"We didn't have a clue". Skip said.

Abbey rubbed her lips together.

"I don't like it".

"No one does, Abbey". Liebgott said, "not a lot we can do".

Frowning, she got onto her feet.

"Yes". She mumbled, "we are apart of this Company".

Skip looked at her.

"What you 'gonna do?"

Abbey looked towards the door.

"I don't know".

She said, before walking out of the hut.

Abbey crossed the muddy strip, almost sliding in the process.

It hadn't stopped raining since Charlie.

She touched the back of her head.

Abbey felt raindrops trickle onto her jacket.

Swallowing, she removed her hand and moved towards the barn. Opening the large door, Abbey stepped inside and saw a few of the NCO's gathered around the table; Toye included. When the door closed, they all turned towards the sound, conversation trailing off.

"Abbey?" Lipton frowned. "What're you doing here?"

She looked away from them, eyes facing a haystack.

"This is the barn". Abbey mumbled, "it belongs to everyone".

Toye ran a hand down his face, hiding a small smile.

Ranney cleared his throat, "right – Abbey? We were in the middle of discussing something".

Abbey bobbed her head.

"Yes". She whispered, "you should continue this discussion".

Guarnere did smile.

But Ranney was having none of it.

"It's private".

She blinked and licked her bottom lip.

"Then perhaps don't pick the barn".

"Is she fucking serious-"

"Abbey". Toye cut Ranney off, "why don't you clean your rifle, huh? Looked a little dirty".

Abbey's eyes hardened, she looked at her squad leader.

"My rifle is fine". She mumbled, "it's very clean".

Guarnere's smile widened, Martin even snorted.

"Abbey, what'd you want?" Guarnere eventually asked her. "You think we're up to something?"

She looked at the haystack again, fingers pressing against her jump wings.

"You are all up to something". Abbey mumbled, "it's…shitty".

"A little". Toye said quietly, "what do you know?"

"That you want to leave".

Harris shook his head, "no, we don't 'wanna leave, Abbey".

Abbey frowned.

"Then why say you are?"

"We're kind of lying". Lipton told her, "in a sense. It's sort of like a threat. We don't 'wanna follow Sobel into combat".

"We don't either". She whispered, "can we leave?"

Martin rubbed the back of his neck, "no, you can't leave".

Abbey's frown deepened.

"Colonel Sink will find out".

The NCO's all looked at her.

"Yeah…we want him to know". Bull said.

Abbey walked towards the back of the barn.

She picked up an empty glass bottle of coke and placed it into the bin.

Toye's lips twitched.

Always so observant.

"And if he knows". She mumbled, "then Sobel will leave?"

"Maybe". Ranney murmured.

Abbey picked up another empty glass bottle.

Lipton sighed, "as I said, it could get us all shot-"

_ Crash. _

The glass fell out of her hands, smashing onto the ground. Abbey turned around, facing them all. She shook her head, eyes growing wide. Breathing picking up, her hand hovered towards the back of her head.

"No". Abbey said, "no – then you don't do it".

Toye quickly got up and walked over to her.

"Calm down, alright-"

"Joe". She whispered, "you don't do it".

He placed both hands on her shoulder.

"Abbey". Toye said quietly, "you just 'gotta try something a bit nutty, huh? Those guys, they keep him around cause he trained us up good. But they don't understand that he can't lead and what good is a Company, without Platoon Sargent's and squad leaders, huh?"

She looked at him, searching his eyes.

"Shitty". Abbey whispered.

"Exactly". Toye gave her shoulders a squeeze, "we ain't 'gonna get shot, Abbey. Sink's got a good head on his shoulders. He just don't get how serious this is".

She placed her hands on his forearms.

"Then I will come with you".

He smiled a little.

"You fucking would, huh?"

Abbey nodded.

"Yes. I wouldn't lie to you, Joe".

"You 'wanna help, Abbey?" Ranney asked.

Toye let go of her shoulders, they both turned to face him.

Abbey nodded.

"Get Winters". He told her, "we're 'gonna talk to him about it".

"Now?"

"No". Ranney said, "leave at night, try and bring him around nine".

…

Abbey left the hut at quarter to nine that night.

Winters had moved to Battalion Staff quarters, which sat just outside of the village.

She walked down the road, which was quiet and empty.

Like always, it was raining, Abbey had her poncho on.

But her eyes quickly darted towards that green door.

Abbey stopped in the middle of the road.

Her head started to hurt, it thumped against her skull.

Heart racing, she placed her hand on the back of her head, eyes glazing over.

_ "Joe!" _

_ "I'll never let her go…". _

She could see it all over again.

Waking up in Charlie's hold, inside his living room.

The knife to her throat.

Abbey closed her eyes for a few moments, reminding herself that it was over now, and she'd never see him again. Taking in a deep breath, she opened her eyes and looked away from the door. Abbey continued her journey down the road. But she kept her eyes peeled the entire time.

Battalion Staff lived in a huge manor.

Winters room was on the second floor, the window next to the vine.

Abbey had to sneak her way inside.

Thankfully, a window was left opened and the room was empty.

She climbed up and entered the room.

The fire was roaring, with a red sofa and matching armchairs facing the flames. The front room was lovely. It was grand, very elegant and posh. Abbey put her hood down. Her eyes wanted to wonder but she had to give herself a big shake.

No, she had to get Winters.

Abbey crept towards the door.

She carefully opened it a little and looked out into the hallway.

Strayer and another office were both heading into another room.

They were both talking, in hushed voices.

"It's a great distraction, Matheson-"

"I know, sir".

When the door closed, Abbey stepped out into the hall.

She moved towards the staircase and started to walk up.

The Grandfather clock soon chimed, signalling it was nine.

Abbey covered her ears and pulled a face.

_ Ding – ding -ding! _

God, it was so loud. It went off right by her head.

_ Ding – ding – ding! _

Abbey, with her ears still covered, quickly walked up the rest of the stairs.

_ Ding – ding – ding! _

She reached the landing and removed her hands from her ears.

Standing still, Abbey pressed her back against the wall.

She heard footsteps walk down the hall.

Abbey carefully peaked around the corner.

It was Lieutenant Nixon.

He knocked on a door.

"Yeah?"

"It's me".

He knocked on Winters door.

Chewing the inside of her cheek, Abbey revealed her cover and tip-toed down the hall.

She could hear a few other officers talking in various rooms.

And her eyes wondered towards the walls, which were filled with large paintings.

They were very colourful, with strange looking dogs and horses.

Abbey stopped and admired one of them.

It was a painting of a man in bed, with this black hooded person hovering over him. The man was sick, with red sores and blisters all over his arms and face. And the hooded figure had this strange mask on his face, with this large beak poking out from his hood.

Shuddering a little, she started walking again.

When she reached his door, Abbey gave it a knock.

The men inside stopped talking.

Someone got up and answered the door.

"Abbey?" Winters frowned. "What are you doing here?"

Abbey rubbed her hands nervous.

"Sir". She whispered, "the men need your time, sir".

"Now?"

Abbey nodded.

Winters sighed quietly and then; he pulled a face.

"How did you get in here?"

"I was quiet, sir".

He snorted softly.

"Good to see you, trooper".

She smiled, "yes, you as well, sir".

The pair of them managed to sneak out of the manor.

And soon, they were back into Aldbourne.

After dropping Winters off, Abbey left the barn.

She walked back inside the hut and took off her poncho and boots, before getting into bed. Like most nights, Malarkey and Skip had the radio on. Some of the men were playing cards, smoking, writing letters – just like any other night, it was relaxed. Abbey was lying on her side, Liebgott was reading one of his comics. And on her other side, Jackson was fast asleep, with a letter lying over his face.

Abbey wanted to stay up, she wanted to know the outcome.

But her eyes were heavy, her head was hurting.

Letting out a tiny yawn, Abbey soon drifted off.

…

_ "Abbey, no!" _

_ She was confused. _

_ Why was her mum screaming? _

_ Abbey looked up, the sky was dark and stormy. The clouds were thick and a deep shade of blue. The thunder rolled from under the clouds, lightening shooting out and hitting the ground. But when the lightening cracked, it sounded like huge bombs going off. _

_ Slowly, she looked down. _

_ The waves were giant, and almost crashed against her feet. _

_ With the angry sea, the furious sky and the bombs going off around her, Abbey almost didn't hear her mums' desperate pleas. And it was at this point, which Abbey realised why her mother was screaming. She was standing on top of the railings at the docks, arms out to her side. _

_ One small move, she would fall into the angry sea, letting the waves cover her up like a blanket._

_ The wind blew towards her, she could hear them all scream. _

_ Screams of terror, grief and agony from the bombardments. _

_ Abbey covered her ears and looked down. _

_"Abbey!" Her mother continued to scream, "please! Come down!" _

_But all too soon, a gust of wind punched her back. _

_Abbey was falling._

_She screamed until her ears popped. _

_And fell into the angry sea. _

_"Abbey!"_

…

"…Abbey".

Eyes snapping open, Abbey sat up.

Running a hand down her face, she expected to be wet. But she was dry.

And safe.

Liebgott let go of her shoulder.

"Christ, been trying to wake you for ages".

Swallowing and then taking in a breath, Abbey looked at him.

"They've been called up to see Sink". He told her, "the NCO's".

Clearing her throat, Abbey pulled back the blanket and sat on the edge of her bed. She reached underneath and brought out of her boots, sticking them on.

"What time is it?" She whispered.

"Nine". Liebgott replied, "you've slept for almost twelve hours". He mused, "impressive".

Abbey tied her laces and got onto her feet.

"You okay?" He asked, with a tiny frown. "You look a little spooked".

Her eyebrows twitched.

Abbey shook her head and grabbed her jacket.

"I'm not hurt". She mumbled.

Liebgott smiled a little.

"Nah – like, you look scared, Abbey".

"I'm not…that either".

Smile softening, Liebgott gave her shoulder a gentle clap.

"Good". He said, "come on, let's get some chow".

Abbey found it very hard to stay still that day.

She did a lot of walking after breakfast. She walked down the village, paced back and forth inside the hut and she walked down the farm road, until she reached a dead end. And then turned back and continued to walk back and forth outside the white fence.

Abbey was anxious.

She didn't think Sink would shoot them, as what the Sargent's had done was considered mutiny. The invasion was supposedly coming up, they were just waiting for the date. Sink was going to be livid, but Abbey didn't think he'd shoot them…hopefully.

"Hey!"

Looking up, she saw them walking towards the fence.

Abbey counted, making sure they were all there.

Toye gave her a wink, "not going anyway, Abbey".

She was about to smile but soon saw the devastated look on Harris's face.

Ranney was also looking a little gutted too.

Abbey frowned a little.

The two Sargent's walked past her, while Guarnere sighed.

"Harris is out". He told her lowly, "Ranney got demoted back to Private".

She looked up at him.

"But you are all alive".

Toye smiled and ruffled her hair.

"Still kicking, kid".

Abbey let out a long sigh, shoulders dropping.

Guarnere snorted.

"Worried?"

"Yes". She hissed, "of course, Bill".

Abbey looked away from them, face forming another frown.

"You are my friends". She mumbled, "I didn't want you to leave".

Guarnere grinned.

"Right back at you, Abbey".


	17. Chapter 16

"Sobel's gone".

Two days later, Easy all let out sighs of relief.

Sobel was gone. Sink sent him off to Chilton Foliat, where the 101st had established another Parachute Jumping School, to qualify doctors, chaplains, communication men and others, as Paratroopers. Sobel would run the training at that camp.

He was suited for the job.

But the men were relieved that day.

However, Abbey was confused.

They were given a new XO officer, Lieutenant Patrick Sweeney from Able Company.

Where was Winters?

Why wasn't he back with Easy?

Everyone wanted their Lieutenant back.

So, the Sargent's all went over to Battalion and requested they have Winters back. And just like that, the man was back as a Platoon leader. It was such a relief, now they were just like any other Company in 2nd Battalion without Sobel. And their new Company Commander, Lieutenant Meehan from Baker Company, was the exact opposite of Sobel. Strict still but completely fair.

On a cold December night, found Easy inside foxholes.

Abbey was sitting on outpost, alone.

Usually they'd have someone next to them, but they wanted the men to get used to keeping watch alone. Which meant, staying awake during the night and always looking around you. Out post was stationed on the edge of a tree line, facing a two-hundred-yard field. At the end of the field, was another tree line.

That's where the "enemy" team were positioned.

This exercise had been going on for three days now and it was running great, thanks to their new CO and having Winters back. But at the start of December, Easy were given new Platoon leaders, to ensure each Platoon had two officers. One as leader, one as assistant. 2nd Platoon were given 2nd Lieutenant Compton, or Buck, as he liked to be called. The men instantly liked him; Buck was great. Funny, kind, quick-thinking – everything a Platoon officer should be. They were lucky to have him.

The field was practically frozen.

It had been raining for almost a week and the puddles had turned to ice. If they had to advance forward the next morning, they'd risk falling and breaking their necks. This wasn't Abbey's first winter in Britain, obviously but the men weren't used to this constant change of weather. They'd say it would be sunny, it would rain and then they'd say it would snow – no, just more rain. Abbey hardly ever saw snow. If it did snow, it was never deep enough and it would rain shortly after, leaving them with slippery slush.

Abbey was tired, cold and hungry.

It was always miserable being alone on outpost. When all you wanted to do was sleep. If sleep was even possible out here but you had the guy next to you, to keep you warm. Abbey had her arms wrapped around herself, while her eyes remained glued out in front of her.

Keeping watch didn't bother her that much. She'd take note on any movements she'd see behind the trees. Which were dark figures, moving from foxhole to foxhole. The "enemy" team were Fox Company, who were also stationed in Aldbourne. Easy had to secure this line, which the enemy would try to breakthrough. So far, Fox hadn't made much of an attempt. And whatever came their way, Easy would hit twice as hard.

Of course, nothing was live ammunition.

Everything was blanks, except the smoke grenades.

Abbey only had fifteen minutes left.

She didn't think anything would happen.

However, she saw something different.

Frowning, Abbey carefully leaned forwards, until she was half outside of the outpost. Squinting her eyes, she was glad for two things. One, that they did so many night problems and two, it was a full moon that night. Because she saw helmets, the light from the moon reflected against the polished heads. It seemed one of the Platoon leaders had send out his Platoon to cross the field and ambush them at night. The only thing was, they were headed straight for 2nd.

Getting back inside the outpost, Abbey picked up the radio.

"CP2 this is OP2".

"OP2 go".

"Message, over".

"Proceed".

"Sir, we have one Platoon crossing the field heading straight for our side, over".

"Message received. Stand by for attack, over".

"OP2, over".

Putting down the radio, Abbey picked up her rifle and waited.

Winters and Buck got 2nd into position for attack.

And Fox were none the wiser, they had no idea Abbey had spotted them.

It was all done very discreetly and quietly.

No one had to talk, Winters used hand signals to get everyone in position, or whispered very quietly into their ear of where he wanted them to go and fire from. Toye and the rest from 1st squad moved up towards Abbey, with Winters at the front.

And as soon as he let off that first shot, everyone soon fired out with him.

This was a real-life combat situation, minus the obvious.

They weren't using real rounds. And no one was getting hurt.

No one screamed out for a medic, cried in pain.

It was just another war-game, something they used to practice with. But Abbey was sure that if this was real, Easy would have pushed the enemy team back so easily. Even when another Platoon tried to take their 1st Platoon, the officers had them at the ready to attack. And soon, they pushed Fox Company back and the exercise had ended the next morning.

When they got back into Aldbourne, Easy were confident.

They had brilliant officers, brilliant NCO's and squads who listened.

Toye was an excellent squad leader. It was like he could see things before they happened and managed to get his guys firing out correctly and effectively. And he took care of his squad. By doing this, they respected Toye so much and they'd spend hours on end cleaning their gear before inspections. Just so their squad leader wouldn't catch any hell for his guys looking scruffy.

Easy had Christmas day off.

The Sargent's served everyone a glorious turkey dinner.

And they all enjoyed it while they could.

Then they had a quiet New Years.

Everyone stayed up for midnight.

"I wonder what this year will bring". Carson said, "I wonder if I'll see 1945".

And with that said, the bells rang.

Now, they had entered 1944.

…

"I'm 'gonna get as drunk as sixteen skunks-"

"yeah?"

"Oh, you'd bet on it, Joe".

"One week off, huh? Think we're dropping soon?"

"Not when I'm raising hell". Guarnere mumbled, while he packed his bag.

Liebgott lit himself another cigarette.

"Who you going with, Bill?"

"Johnny and Chuck". He replied, "any of you micks 'wanna join us?"

"Me, Tipper and Alley are hitting London". Liebgott told him.

Guarnere gave Toye a nod.

"What about you, Joe?"

"Staying, Bill". He said, "you three crazy fellas have some fun, huh?"

Guarnere rubbed his hands together.

"Wait till we roll-up, huh? It ain't 'gonna know what hit 'um!"

Easy were given a week's furlough. It raised a few eyebrows, but the men were happy to be getting one full week off, to do whatever they wanted. Most of them went straight to London with their buddies, while others explored different parts of Britain. Edinburgh was a popular choice, it seemed. And Glasgow. Everyone had soon cleared out of the huts, within one hour of receiving their furloughs. Out of the two squads, only Toye and Abbey remained.

Taking in a deep breath, Abbey walked over to him.

"Joe?" She whispered.

Toye sat up in his bed, looking at her.

"Yeah, Abbey?"

Rubbing her lips together, she looked off towards the wall.

"Can you come with me?"

Toye frowned.

"Where?"

"Liverpool". Abbey replied quietly, "to see my parents".

He was mildly confused. Toye cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck.

"You want me to go home with you?"

She nodded.

With a tiny smile, he gave his head a shake.

"Well, alright". Toye said, "when?"

Abbey bobbed her head, before looking at her watch.

"Yes. In ten minutes".

"Jesus, Abbey". He whispered, getting onto his feet. "Come on – we 'gotta pack".

It would be quite the journey.

They'd need to get the bus into London and then a train to Liverpool.

But the journey was absolutely fine.

Toye slept most of the way and Abbey read her book. It was quiet, relaxed and went without fail. She wasn't feeling nervous as such but needed someone to go along with her and why not her squad leader and friend? Abbey felt safe with Toye. Even more so after the Charlie incident.

For the last part of the journey, she put her book away.

Abbey watched the train enter the busy and large train station at Lime Street.

Toye woke up at the right time.

He rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms above his head.

"Here already, Abbey?"

She was staring out of the window, watching another train pull into a platform.

Running a hand through his hair, Toye got up and grabbed their bags from the overhead compartment. Many of the passengers started to collect their things, the train terminated in this station. So, there was no great rush to exit the train before it left. Abbey could have just stayed there for hours, watching everyone rush around to catch their train.

Toye fixed his cap and then reached down, giving her shoulder a gentle nudge.

"Up we get, Abbey".

Biting her lower lip, she got onto her feet.

And they both got off the train and onto the platform.

Abbey had been at this station a few times before. With her dad mostly. But they never got off at another town or city, Abbey just liked to ride around in the train until it terminated back at Lime Street. It was an odd hobby, but her dad never minded; he quite enjoyed it himself. They'd even pack themselves a lunch for the journey.

She never minded trains.

It was only a thirty-minute walk to her street from the station. Toye asked a few questions about where they were, or how they were getting to her house. Abbey answered quietly, but she never minded the questions much. However, when they approached the entrance to Madryn Street, Abbey stopped walking.

"This was a mistake".

Toye turned around to face her.

Abbey shook her head.

"We should go back now".

"No". Toye said to her, "nah – we ain't going back until we've seen your family, Abbey".

A few of the kids ran out of their houses and started kicking a football about on the road. The mother of one of the boys started yelling;

"get off the road! You stupid arse!"

Toye grinned, while he watched the young boy.

"But mum!" He complained, "there's no cars!"

"Don't talk back to me boy – get your arse inside, now!"

"Jesus Christ-"

"don't let me hear you talking about Jesus like that!"

Toye coughed back a laugh.

Sighing, he looked back towards Abbey.

"It's 'gonna be fine, Abbey". He told her, "come on – I 'wanna meet 'um".

Giving a little nod, Abbey was soon walking next to Toye.

Harold, Peter, Lucy and Stewart.

All four siblings lived under the same roof, as well as Helen and Mathew.

Taking in a deep breath, Abbey knocked on the door.

Toye was standing behind her, hand on her shoulder.

She could hear her baby brother crying; screaming, in fact.

Which was odd, Abbey thought Stewart was a quiet baby.

But then again, he'd almost be one now.

After a few tense seconds – for Abbey, anyway, the door opened.

Mathew answered.

"Yes, can I – Abbey?"

He went pale and his face turned into shock.

Obviously, Mathew wasn't expecting to see his daughter.

Blinking, Abbey bobbed her head.

"Hello". She whispered.

Mathew smiled, tears reaching his eyes.

"Look at you". He whispered, "my Goodness, you look so smart".

"This is Joe Toye". Abbey mumbled, "he is my squad leader".

Smiling, Toye reached over and shook Mathew's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Mr Harrison".

"Oh – call me Mathew, son". He said to him kindly, "nice to meet you too".

Mathew opened the door fully.

"Come in". He ushered, "Helen?" Mathew called, "Helen – look who's here".

Abbey and Toye entered the small hallway.

Her house hadn't changed much, it still looked the same.

With the fading paint, the marked carpet and the chipped wood from the doors.

But it was home and Abbey was glad they didn't turn back.

Helen was holding Stewart, who was still crying.

And she almost screamed, when she saw Abbey.

"My darling!"

Helen handed Stewart over to Mathew, before pulling Abbey into a tight hug.

She kissed her head and closed her eyes, breathing her oldest child in.

"I've missed you so much, Abbey". Helen gushed, "so – so much".

And what made Helen cry, was when Abbey returned the hug.

Mathew swallowed, feeling a tear roll down his cheek.

Helen just held her tighter.

"I love you, Abbey". She said, "we've missed you".

Abbey pulled away from the hug.

It didn't last long but it meant everything to her mum.

Abbey looked at Helen.

"This is Joe Toye. He is my squad leader".

Smiling again, Toye gave Helen's cheek a kiss.

"Lovely to meet you, Mrs Harrison".

"Call me, Helen, Joe". She said, "how lovely to have you here".

It was quiet.

Stewart had stopped crying and Abbey couldn't hear anyone else.

Frowning a little, she looked over at Mathew.

"They're staying with my sister". He told her, as if reading her mind. "In the country, just until it's safe enough, Abbey".

"You can have your old room, Abbey". Helen told her, "and Joe can sleep in-"

"no. Joe will remain with me".

Mathew's eyebrows twitched.

Toye cleared his throat.

"Uh – we're used to being together".

"Alright". Mathew mumbled, "eh – okay, that's – that's-"

"fine". Helen said, "I don't care where you sleep, as long as it's home".

The family moved into the tiny living room.

Coal was already burning in the fire and Helen had been busy knitting Stewart hats and jumpers. She had left her things sitting on the armchair. Mathew cleared a spot on the sofa and the two troopers both sat down.

"I'll make tea". Helen said, while she placed Stewart on the floor.

He was sitting up and grabbed his toy car.

Abbey looked over at him.

Stewart, like most babies, put the toy in his mouth.

"He's teething". Mathew said, "been a bit of a screamer these passed few weeks".

Toye gave Abbey a nudge.

"I didn't know you had another brother, Abbey".

She continued to stare at her baby brother.

"I forget to say". Abbey whispered, head tilting to the side.

Mathew rubbed his hands together.

"Well – how's training?"

Abbey didn't answer, so, Toye did.

"Going great, sir". He responded, "we're doing great".

"That's good". He said quietly, "Abbey tells me she hit the sandbags head".

Toye snorted, with a little smile.

"She's a good shot, sir". He said, "my whole squad are".

"Yeah? You lads run over a lot of exercises?"

"Loads". He said, "that's what we do for most of the time".

"Bet you that's cold".

"Freezing".

The conversation faded out for Abbey.

She got off the couch and sat down on her knees, sitting opposite Stewart.

The baby babbled and his blue eyes stared up towards hers.

A gummy smile reached Stewart's mouth, once the car was out of his hands.

Abbey reached out and Stewarts little hand wrapped around her finger.

"Hello". She said softly, "I'm Abbey…and that's Joe".

Stewart continued to smile at her.

She smiled back at him.

"You are going to be one soon". Abbey mumbled, "I don't remember being one, but I think you'll have a wonderful birthday. And maybe Lucy, Harold and Peter will be there too".

Both parents stared at the sight.

A little stunned.

But Helen still managed to hand Toye a cup of tea, despite not being able to take her eyes away from Abbey. It was surprising, they couldn't remember Abbey interacting much with her other siblings when they were babies.

Mathew rubbed his chin.

"This is new". He whispered.

Toye didn't think it was very odd.

He was used to Abbey talking more now, they all were.

They figured she just needed to come out of her shell a bit more – or something along those lines. Abbey didn't go into much detail about her childhood, just the Albert Docks. She didn't talk about her siblings or her parents. But Toye thought Abbey had lovely parents.

Helen shook her head.

"It's very different".

"…this car is red". Abbey picked up the red wooden car, "can you say red?"

Toye smirked.

Mathew looked over at her squad leader.

"What's she like with the lads, son?"

Pulling his eyes away from Abbey, Toye soon noticed the shocked and slightly concerned faces of her parents. Clearing his throat, he set the teacup down.

"Great, sir". He told him, "I mean…quiet at the start but she's fine".

Helen frowned, "no issues?"

"Uh – well, she used to flip out when her OD's would get dirty-"

"oh, dear". The mum worried.

Toye shook his head, "not anymore, Mrs Harrison". He assured her, "she's – she's really great. She has all of us, you know? We take care of each other".

Abbey smiled again, picking up a blue car.

"It's blue, like the sky, Stewart". She whispered, "like your eyes".

Mathew shared that same smile.

"She's changed, Helen".

The mum placed a hand over her chest.

"I don't understand, Mathew". She whispered tearfully, "the doctors were sure, she'd always be that way. How has this happened?"

A small silence filled the room, all expect Abbey and Stewart.

"Take it as a good thing, love". Mathew said, "she's always been a quiet kid. Never had much friends".

Helen wiped a tear away.

"Well, she has plenty now". Toye told them both.

…

The pub was quiet.

Usually, it would be filled with all the young men who lived close by but the majority of them were deployed or in training. Old men barely filled half of the pub, while Toye and Abbey sat in the corner, right at the back. They had a beer each, which wasn't warm. Toye was happy about that, Abbey didn't mind much.

"Lively tonight, huh?"

Abbey bobbed her head.

"Sarcasm".

Toye grinned.

"What'd you say, Abbey? Should I hustle these guys?"

Her lips twitched.

Toye continued, "huh? Make some big bucks".

Smiling a little more now, Abbey shook her head.

"No. It would be wrong to take from the elderly".

He sighed, "ah – there goes my night".

Abbey took another sip from her beer.

She placed the glass down on the coaster.

For around an hour, they had more beers and talked casually. Just like they would back in the hut. And then, very slowly, the conversation turned.

"My mom and dad both grew up in Ireland, then came over to America. When I was a kid, dad says to me, Joey. You're Irish. You have two choices. You work in a coal mine, or you become a cop. That's it".

Abbey frowned a little.

Toye shook his head.

"I was too young to be a cop, so it's off to the mines. I remember the priest coming back to talk to him about me going back to school. He shooed him away. I was a coal miner. That was that".

He swallowed, jaw twitching.

"I was fifteen, Abbey". He said quietly, "fifteen".

There was a slight pause.

"Had to quit school. Football coaches were drooling over me, but I couldn't play. I never learned to write. Never learned to talk good like you guys can with big words and stuff…".

Toye trailed off and took another drink from his beer.

He sighed, placing the glass back down.

"That's it".

Abbey leaned forwards, her hand going on top of his.

She looked at him.

"No". Abbey whispered, "you are not a coal miner. You are my squad leader and my friend".

She smiled small at him.

Toye swallowed and blinked a few times.

He cleared his throat, giving her a little nod.

"He was wrong". Abbey mumbled softly, "and you can decide what you want to do now".

She didn't let go of his hand.

Toye managed to give her a smile, which satisfied her.

Abbey let go of him and leaned back against the chair.

"Hey, Abbey?"

"Yes?"

Toye nodded, "thanks".

Rubbing her lips together, she picked up her beer.

"Okay".


	18. Chapter 17

Abbey Harrison could die.

But it wasn't something she could control anymore. It could be so easy for her to die now, out in combat. And she thought about it, every second of the day. No one really talked about death, they just wanted to make it back home. Abbey just wanted the people she cared for to be okay.

The most daunting sight was seeing them lock up the gates.

Now, they were shut in Uppottery. Their only escape from the marshalling area was by jumping out from a plane, which would take them behind enemy lines. Aldbourne was now a thing of the past and something to look back on. Much like home. This was the real thing now; they were heading off to war after almost two years of training. Abbey wasn't going to miss Aldbourne too much, but she did have some fond moments of her time in that village with the men.

They were assigned into tents.

And just like back in the hut, 1st squad and the mortar squad shared a tent.

"Hey – where'd you go, Abbey?"

Blinking, she came out from her hazy daydream.

Abbey rubbed her lips together, looking up.

Grinning, Jackson sat opposite her.

"Nervous?"

She shook her head.

"No, I'm not that". Abbey mumbled softly.

Sighing, he leaned back on his small bed. "I don't think I am either".

"Still time".

Jackson snorted, "thanks, Abbey…".

Abbey's eyebrows twitched.

"You're welcome?" She asked.

The tent flap opened, Buck and Diel walked inside.

"Where's Toye?" The Lieutenant asked, "NCO's are being called up to HQ tent".

Nelson shook his head, "no idea. Probably with Bill".

Diel raised his eyebrow, "well? Where's he?"

"Could be with Martin and the fellas?" Liebgott suggested.

Buck sighed quietly, "thanks – hey, you see them-"

"we'll tell them you're all looking". Malarkey mumbled, while cleaning his weapons.

"Thank you, Malark".

When the Sargent and Lieutenant left, Jackson smiled over at Abbey.

"But you're fine, Abbey?"

She looked down at her hands.

"Yes". Abbey mumbled softly, "you're very interested".

He chuckled.

"You're my friend, you nut".

Frowning, she looked back at him.

Jackson shrugged, "you saved my life – I think we're friends now".

"I suppose". She said, with a tiny smile.

His grin widened, "exactly".

Abbey gave a little nod, while she took apart her rifle.

Cleaning weapons and gear, that's all they were assigned to do for the time being. Everything had to be ready for this drop. The men prepared in their own unique way. Some gambled, wrote letters, read books, cleaned. While some were lost in their own thoughts and worries. Abbey was lucky in the sense that 1st squad and the mortar squad, didn't seem at all that nervous. There was no chain reaction within this tent.

"They must know now, huh?"

"Yeah, no shit".

Jackson lit up his cigarette, "when will we get briefed?"

Nelson shrugged, "tomorrow?"

And like Nelson had thought, the next morning, the rest of the enlisted men were briefed. Nixon and Hester had sand tables which showed terrain features, houses, roads, dunes. Along with maps and recon photos. It was an amazing display. They were impressed. The Platoon leaders and NCO's walked them through what they had to learn and about their mission. There were four causeways that ran up from the beaches, and the 101st needed to secure them so the seaborn troops could get their equipment and gear up Utah Beach and move inland. 2nd Platoon were dropping outside Sainte-Marie-du-Mont and securing the causeway that ran from the beach through the town of Pouppeville.

Normandy.

Abbey didn't know an awful lot about Normandy.

Only that Sainte-Marie-du-Mont is located southeast of the Cotentin Peninsula, just north of Carentan and the outlet of the Douve and Vire rivers. But she learned all that from the maps, tables and photos. Besides from now, Abbey hadn't even heard of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. But Normandy was about to be extremely well-known, as this allied invasion was going to be enormous.

"They think it's 'gonna be over quick".

"And you don't".

"Nah".

Toye sighed, "well…what'd you think, Bill?"

"It ain't ever 'gonna be that easy, Joe".

Abbey raised her eyebrow, while she looked away from the map.

She turned around, facing both of them.

"What about…reassurance?"

Guarnere smirked, "oh, you want me to lie?"

Abbey shook her head.

"I never want you to lie". She mumbled, "but what if it's both bad and good?"

"That ain't possible".

Blinking, Abbey turned back around and faced the map again.

Toye cleared his throat, "we don't know what it's 'gonna be like".

Guarnere crossed his arms, "we just 'wanna get the hell there".

Everyone was hard at it that day, trying to cram all that new information into their heads. They had to learn everything by heart. Which wasn't a problem for them, once they studied hard and got it stuck in their heads. Most of them were in and out of that briefing tent all day, just double or triple checking they had everything correct. They had some concerns, but they all felt ready and eager just to get this over with. Abbey didn't have many concerns regarding how she was going to react to all the noise and change. If this jump happened straight after getting their wings, then perhaps Abbey might have been anxious.

But it was different now.

Though sometimes, she still found certain things difficult.

Abbey entered the latrines that night and headed into one of the stalls, gently and quietly closing the door behind her. It was late, around eleven. Those who could, slept and for those who couldn't, they played cards, talked and smoked. Abbey had been sleeping, she fell asleep at nine that night but woke up feeling a little off. She figured she was going to get sick and decided the best place for her to be at that moment, was by the toilet.

However, her illness took a step to the side.

A huge bang came from a few stalls up from her.

Abbey jumped and looked away from the toilet.

The bang came again.

She swallowed, staring towards the stall door.

It went quiet.

Abbey wondered if she had left the door open and perhaps a breeze caused one of the stall doors to slam open and then close again. But it was hard to tell. The breeze seemed to make the most sense at the moment, seeing as no other noise followed. And Abbey was prepared to blame the weather for that random noise. Taking in a deep breath, she looked towards the toilet again. Just waiting. When her ears heard something else.

"Fuck…".

Abbey frowned again.

"Fuck…".

The voice repeated.

It sounded tearful and upset.

Abbey blinked, feeling something twist in her gut.

She heard a sniff.

And while the guy was sniffing, Abbey's boot slipped and knocked against the stall.

It went quiet again, while she mentally cursed herself.

"Get the fuck 'outta here!"

Abbey rubbed her lips together.

"I fucking mean it! Get fucking lost!"

She tilted her head up, staring at the ceiling.

"This is the latrines". Abbey mumbled. "It is not a private-"

"Abbey?"

Clearing her throat, she nodded.

"Yes".

Guarnere sniffed again.

Abbey swallowed, "I will leave-"

"don't". He muttered, "doesn't fucking matter".

Biting her bottom lip, Abbey leaned back against the side of the stall.

Her boots pressed up against the other side, knees bending slightly.

"You 'wanna know?"

"You don't have to tell me anything". Abbey whispered.

Guarnere went quiet.

She didn't feel nervous, but her hands did sweat a little.

He kicked the stall door.

"I ain't fucking facing it".

Abbey's eyebrows twitched.

"Couldn't fucking tell me anything…". He muttered.

She pressed her fingertips together, not knowing how to respond.

Guarnere let out a tearful sigh, "and my fucking mom…and pop".

Abbey then pushed herself up from the ground.

Opening the stall door, she walked outside.

"Frannie told Pat…Pat told Johnny". Guarnere continued, "five fucking months ago and not a Goddamn word from nobody".

She stopped in front of the stall Guarnere was currently in.

"Do you think Earnest knows?"

Abbey tilted her head to the side.

"You are asking me?" She mumbled.

"I don't fucking know, Abbey". He said, "I ain't asking anyone".

She gave the door a little push and it slowly opened.

Guarnere was standing up on the other side, letter clutched into his right hand, while his left hand was balled into a fist. His eyes looked red, while his cheeks were wet with tears. But that wasn't all – he looked enraged. Abbey continued to look at him.

"Don't lie to me". He said, jaw clenching. "It ain't 'gonna be alright – not ever".

Guarnere pushed passed Abbey, heading for the sinks.

She turned around, watching him.

He turned on the tap, splashing water to his face.

"I didn't feel well". Abbey mumbled, "but you feel worse".

Sighing heavily, Guarnere placed his hand on the sink.

Taking a few paper towels, he dried his face.

"Henry is dead".

Guarnere tossed the paper towels into the bin.

Turning around, he looked at her.

"Yeah".

Abbey looked passed his shoulder and found a spot on the wall.

"They've let a fucking killer loose". Guarnere grunted.

And he looked away from her, before leaving the latrines.

…

Abbey was packing everything.

In her baggy trouser pockets she had one spoon, razor, socks, cleaning patches, flashlight, map, three-day supply of K-rations, an emergency ration pack, ammunition, a compass, two fragmentation grenades, an anti-tank mine, a smoke grenade, a Gammon bomb and two cartons of cigarettes. On top of her uniform was her webbing belt and braces which had her canteen, shovel, aid kit and bayonet. Over that went her parachute harness, with the main chute in her backpack and reserve chute hooked on the front. A gas mask was strapped to her left leg, with her knife/bayonet to her right leg. And slung across her chest was her musette bag with spare underwear and more ammunition. And up and down across her front was her rifle. Leaving both hands free to guide the risers.

They were also given the verbal challenge; "flash" the password and "thunder" the response. And, a metal dime store cricket. For an alternative way of identification. One squeeze, one click, to be answered back with two squeezes, two clicks. Then they had the American flag to be sewn on the right sleeves of their jump jackets.

It was June the 4th, the jump was set for that night.

"Give me three days and nights of hard fighting, then you will be relieved". Is what General Taylor had told them. He also added that when the C-47s crossed the coastline of France, he wanted everyone to stand up; if a trooper got hit by flak, he wanted him to be standing and take it like a man. Taylor also told 2nd Platoon to fight with knives until daylight and, "don't take any prisoners".

For supper that night, they had steak, green peas, mashed potatoes, white bread and the best part of all -

"Ice cream". Toye was handing his squad out a bowl each. "Get seconds if you want it".

"Man, you know they're serious now, huh?" Nelson said, "giving us fucking ice cream".

"We don't need the extra weight". Liebgott smirked, "you felt the weight of all the shit we 'gotta carry?"

"Yup". Jackson said through a sigh, "least we'll go down quicker, huh?"

"When are we 'gonna spend this?" Malarkey asked, holding up the French money.

"Don't". Skip said, "gamble it".

Abbey finished off her meal, skipping the ice cream.

Picking up her tray, she put it down to get washed and walked out of the mess tent. The clouds looked a little heavy, Abbey wondered if it would rain. She walked towards the tent, boots squishing against the soggy grass. They'd be heading to the planes soon, for a night jump. She didn't feel nervous; she just wanted that part to be over with; sharing the same feelings as the rest of the men.

"Hey, Abbey".

Abbey stopped walking and turned around.

Blithe smiled, "I didn't want the ice cream either".

She tilted her head to the side.

He shrugged, "guess I feel sort of sick or something".

Abbey gave a tiny nod.

That was understandable. She felt a little sick last night.

Blithe sighed quietly, walking over to her.

"Think it's 'gonna be alright?"

Eyebrows twitching, she looked up towards the sky.

"I mean…it's war, right?" Blithe mumbled, "probably won't be".

He was nervous. It was the sanest response towards combat.

Abbey figured a tiny amount of fear, could keep someone alive.

Blithe licked his bottom lip.

"You – uh – you think I'll be alright?"

She frowned, looking away from the sky and at Blithe.

"You don't 'gotta lie to me 'bout this-"

"yes". Abbey whispered. "Yes. You'll be okay".

Swallowing, Blithe's shoulders dropped.

"Alby". She continued quietly. "You didn't have to sit next to me".

He smiled again, "I wanted to".

Abbey blinked, "thank you".

But the jump was cancelled that night, due to the weather conditions. It was cancelled just as they were preparing to march for the planes. Most of Easy went to the wall tent to see the movie "Mr Lucky", starring Cary Grant and Laraine Day. Abbey was sitting between Toye and Guarnere. The three of them weren't paying attention at all – no one was. It was going to be another sleepless and restless night for Easy Company again.

Abbey looked over at Guarnere.

His hands had balled back into fists again.

And then she looked over to Toye, who was smoking and staring blankly at the movie. The actors were talking, they could have been saying anything, but they didn't know what. The movie didn't hold their interests, it wasn't enjoyable.

In front of her, Liebgott, Jackson and Nelson were seated.

Taking in a deep breath, Abbey got up and left the wall tent.

No one noticed her absence, too transfixed with their own thoughts. Abbey wasn't lost in her own thoughts; she didn't know where her mind had wondered off to. It wasn't lost, but it wasn't all there at that moment. Stepping outside and away from the claustrophobic smoke, Abbey took in another deep breath and moved away from the tent. She didn't get very far into her walk, not that she knew exactly where this walk would lead her, because someone called her name.

"Private Harrison".

Abbey looked to her left.

Winters and Nixon were both seated.

"Not a fan of the movie?" Winters asked her kindly.

She gave her head a little shake.

"They started kissing, sir".

Nixon cracked a smile, "not a fan of romance, huh?"

Abbey shook her head again, "no, sir".

"You think it's clearing up, Private?"

Nixon made a gesture up towards the sky.

Abbey followed his gesture and looked up.

But she wasn't thinking about the weather. Abbey was thinking about Guarnere. It reminded her of that man she saw outside the professor's office, his brother had died. And Abbey said she was sorry but more so that he was crying. However, Guarnere wasn't like that man at all. He was her friend. And Abbey wanted him to be okay one day.

She felt a tug pull at her gut.

Abbey sighed quietly, looking down.

"Okay, Private?" Winters asked her.

Blinking, she slowly looked at the Lieutenant.

"I think it might clear up, sir".

…

Abbey was sitting on her bed, while Jackson blackened her face with charcoal.

It was the next afternoon, June the 5th and the jump was back on.

"They ain't 'gonna see you". He mumbled, while smearing her face.

"Good". Abbey whispered, "you are next".

Jackson handed her the charcoal and closed his eyes.

"Butter me up, sweetheart".

Smiling a little, Abbey started to place the charcoal on his face.

It was the last calming moment Abbey would have for a while. Sitting in the tent, while her friend drew charcoal on her face, and she returned the favour. And Jackson still had the humour to lighten the tense mood, while the afternoon ticked by and soon, they were called-up towards the hangers. After the hangers, they tossed their gear into trucks and got on themselves, where they were soon driven towards the planes. It was eighteen to each plane. And the first three men in Abbey's stick were given a new piece of equipment, the leg bag. The leg bag was attached to the guys leg by a quick release mechanism and fastened to his parachute harness by a twenty-foot rope. When the chute opened, the man would hold the weight of the leg pack, pull its release to separate it from his leg and let it down at the end of the rope. The leg bag contained extra ammo and equipment and it would land before the trooper.

Now, with all their gear on, they all sat under the wings of their planes and waited.

Buck handed out anti-airsickness pills.

Abbey, like most men, was confused.

No one got airsick.

Toye turned around, looking at her.

"You're next to me, alright?"

She gave him a nod.

"I checked you over, right?"

Abbey gave him another nod.

"Harness is good? You got your vest on-"

"it's okay". She cut him off quietly, "we are fine, Joe".

Toye sighed quietly, nodding towards the white pill.

"Take the pill when we get on, alright?"

"Are you?"

Abbey looked down at the pill, with a tiny frown.

Toye nodded, "yeah – I'll take it too, Abbey".

Buck was jumpmaster for this drop. He had made sure everything was ready in the plane and got everyone as comfortable as they possibly could be with all their gear on. Guarnere was second out of the door, Toye was third – which meant Abbey was fourth. Not that she minded. It was just a number; she'd have to jump eventually. And next to her was Liebgott.

At 2200 hours, Buck told them all to start boarding the plane.

He helped everyone up, Guarnere and Toye did as well.

Abbey didn't know how much she weighed but her gear weighed more than her, probably. Once on the plane, she sat down and didn't know how she'd get back up again. It was a tight fit, being squished in the middle of Toye and Liebgott but Abbey felt safe enough. Buck went around each guy making sure they were all set to go.

"Take your pill, Abbey". He reminded her.

Abbey placed the pill into her mouth, swallowing it dry.

Buck smiled, giving her shoulder a clap.

Some men complained and grumbled to the guy next to them but the majority of them were quiet, while Buck made the last checks, before he sat down at the start of the plane. It was dark inside the plane now and not too warm, the air felt cool. Abbey felt cold in fact, and her hands shook a little, while a shudder ran down her spine.

Maybe she wasn't cold at all.

A hand was placed on her shoulder.

Abbey closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

_ "Sixty…fifty-nine…fifty-eight…fifty-seven…". _

The hand gave her shoulder a squeeze.

_ "Fifty-six…fifty-five…fifty-four…fifty-three…". _

Abbey opened her eyes.

She swallowed back the tightness in her throat.

And soon, the plane engines roared to life.

The plane body rattled; Abbey rubbed her lips together.

Her hands clasped together tightly.

She was really doing this.


	19. Chapter 18

For a moment, Abbey could have been fast asleep in her bed.

She was peaceful and in a state of pure calmness.

Just like painting Jackson's face with charcoal.

It was blissful.

But then, her eyes sluggishly opened. Everything was a bit of a blur, nothing looked singular and she could see two heads instead of one, on Malarkey sitting across from her. Abbey's mouth felt dry, her head was spinning, and she felt drowsy and confused. She had to rub her eyes and blink a few times, before Malarkey only had one head again. But once the short side-effects cleared off, Abbey felt a little more awake again and soon remembered where exactly they all were.

_ We're going to war. _

The door was now off, so, there was a blast of cool air coming into the plane. Abbey leaned forwards a little and saw Buck and Guarnere staring out of the opening. Toye was fast asleep, much like Liebgott. Most of the men were finding it hard to stay awake, while others gave in and allowed themselves to sleep. Obviously, Guarnere hadn't taken the pill – he was wide awake.

Guarnere looked back, catching her stare.

He held out his hand, "come here!"

Biting her lip, Abbey took his hand.

She was on her knees, crawling on the floor, with her hand tightly in his.

Guarnere practically dragged her towards the opening.

Buck cleared a space on the ground, pointing down.

"Look down, Abbey!"

She frowned a little but looked down all the same.

And she didn't expect to see it.

The sight of six thousand ships crossing the channel and heading to Normandy. All she could see were ships, nothing else but ships. It was incredible, Abbey had never seen anything like it before and it reminded her, just how giant this invasion truly was. She felt so small compared to this war, like a tiny bird in the great open sky. But her eyes sparkled at the sight all the same, she felt her stomach pool with warmth. For a moment, Abbey thought she was proud but then her shoulders jerked, and she vomited out of the plane.

Buck laughed, "you hit some poor son of a bitch!"

Shaking his head, Guarnere gave her back a tender slap.

Abbey let out a shaky breath.

"I am not hurt!"

"Yeah, you just felt like throwing up, huh?" Guarnere said, "come on, sit back down!"

Abbey crawled back to her seat and got in beside Toye and Liebgott.

Once sitting down again, Abbey wiped a hand across her mouth.

Liebgott nudged her arm, "you 'wanna tell me about the docks?!"

She shook her head.

"No?! What about Bilbo, huh? What about that dragon?!"

Abbey looked at him, "I don't need distractions!"

Liebgott raised an eyebrow, "really?!"

She nodded, "my stomach betrayed me!"

Staring at her for a moment, he soon smiled tightly.

"That's funny, Abbey!"

Around one in the morning, just as they neared Normandy, things started to heat-up.

They had been on the plane for two and a half hours, for most of the journey, Abbey had slept, like some others. She didn't expect everything to happen so suddenly. The plane ran into thick clouds and fog and they lost sight of the other planes. They couldn't see anything out there.

Feeling her stomach turn again, Abbey grabbed Toye's arm and shook him awake.

His head jolted from side to side, until he eventually opened his eyes.

Running a hand down his face, he looked at Abbey.

"It's loud!"

Abbey nodded, "we can't see!"

Frowning, Toye leaned forwards to look out of the opening.

Guarnere looked at him, "we hit some fucking fog, Joe!"

"Fucking Christ – what we 'gonna do?!"

Buck turned back at face everyone in the plane.

The red light turned on.

"Stand up!" He yelled.

It was too early, but the pilots obviously didn't want to risk anything.

Meaning, they were about to hit something other than the weather. And sure enough, they started to get a lot of flak. The antiaircraft fire was horrible. Every third or fourth round were tracers. And Abbey could see nothing but fire and a rain of bullets coming from outside. She felt her heart race and veins pump with adrenaline.

Then, the plane started to speed up.

It started to drop down and veer from side to side.

Everyone lost their balance, their gear threatening to drag them down.

Abbey fell back, Liebgott caught her and almost fell back as well.

The bullets and fire drowned out the loud engines from inside the plane. Everything was so loud, Abbey almost lost it. Her eyes went as wide as plates, while Liebgott kept his arms around her waist, preventing her from falling. And with Nelson and Jackson's help, the two of them were soon standing straight again.

"Hook up – come on!" Buck yelled.

Everyone hooked themselves up on the line and waited further instructions.

Abbey just wanted to get off the plane.

Despite what was going on outside, being inside wasn't safe either.

Everyone had sounded off their equipment check and waited for that light to turn green. The plane was going further and further down. At this rate, they wouldn't need a parachute. They were going to hit the ground very fast and hard; Abbey would need to prepare herself for a hard landing. And when the plane jolted harshly to the side, making this terrible screeching noise, she knew they had to get off this damn plane and quickly.

To stop herself from falling, she allowed her body to sway to the side and used her free hand to push herself back up. Abbey gripped back onto her clip and waited. Rubbing her lips together, her eyes wondered onto Toye's back. All she had to do, was follow her squad leader and land near him, that's all she had to do.

But soon, the green light turned on.

"Let's go!" Buck yelled, jumping out first.

The plane was going too fast, but no one cared.

The process of getting out of the plane happened very quickly. And soon, Abbey dove out into the sky, which was on fire and blazing up in orange, reds and flashes of white from the bullets. All around her, troopers were coming down quickly. Planes were getting hit and shells were threatening to harm her. Abbey didn't have a lot of time to plan a right landing area, she was falling far too fast. Grabbing the risers and taking back some control, she managed to avoid a fire and a cluster of trees.

And when she did land, it was hard and felt like she had broken every bone in her body.

Hissing, Abbey rolled onto her side and quickly pressed down to get rid of her chute. Getting up onto her knees, she quickly took her chute off and reserve chute. Abbey didn't break anything, which came as a great relief and surprise. She didn't lose anything from that fierce prop-blast, and she survived that jump.

Once her vest was out of the way, Abbey put on her helmet and took hold of her rife. Now, she had no idea where she was or where everyone else was. Rubbing her lips together, her eyes wondered around, while they tried to make any sense from her surroundings. Abbey knew she wasn't in her drop zone, no one was but she didn't know how far away from her drop zone she had landed. Could have been anything between three or eight miles. Abbey could hear the tree branches shift and move from her right and towards her left, the crackle of a fire. Behind her, Abbey could hear the distant sound of an MG-42, a very powerful German weapon.

Sighing quietly, she knew her best option was to follow the tree line.

Abbey slowly got onto her feet and turned towards the right.

The sight of a dead trooper hanging from a tree startled her a little.

Well, Abbey thought he was dead.

Until he groaned.

Frowning, Abbey moved towards the hanging trooper.

He opened his eyes and her face softened.

"Nelly?" She whispered.

Nelson coughed, "fuck – Abbey? Can you cut me down?"

"Yes".

Putting her rifle down, she started to climb up the tree.

It was an easy tree to climb, it had many branches which were thick enough to hold her weight. And she didn't have to climb very far, until she reached the tangled lines and chute. Abbey reached down and took out her knife, beginning to cut him free.

"I've fucked my hand, Abbey". Nelson muttered, "think it's broken or something".

"Okay". She mumbled, "then you will get treatment".

He sighed, "two years of training and I'm already fucking out".

Abbey reached down and took his uninjured hand, "grab onto the branch. You will fall otherwise".

Nodding, Nelson did as was instructed.

When Abbey cut away the rest of the chute, Nelson clung onto the branch.

Reaching for his arm, she helped pull him up and to help Abbey, Nelson found his footing on another branch and pushed himself up, so he was sitting on the branch next to her. With his back against the tree, Nelson looked down at his injured arm. Shaking his head, his face scrunched up in pain, while he pulled his sleeve up. There was a huge gash going up his arm and his wrist was bent towards the other side.

Blood was pouring out of his arm.

Abbey reached into his webbing and brought out his aid kit.

Taking out the sulphur power, she ripped open the packet and sprinkled the white powder onto his arm, before bringing out his bandage. Nelson hissed, while she wrapped the bandage around him, making it tight, to stop the bleeding.

"Broken?"

Abbey nodded.

"Fuck". Nelson whispered, "I can't believe this…".

"No, it's going to be okay". She said, "we need to get down now".

He looked down, "think I can make it with one arm?"

Abbey nodded, "I do, yes".

Nelson snorted, looking back at her.

"You may sound miserable half the time but you're an optimistic son of a bitch, huh?"

Her eyebrows twitched.

Abbey tilted her head to the side, "right".

He smiled small, "let's go".

They both made it safely down to the ground.

Nelson managed with one hand and Abbey collected her rifle after.

Now, they had to figure out where to go.

"Where now?" Nelson mumbled.

Abbey shook her head, "I don't know where we are".

"Well? What's a place close to our drop zone?"

Licking her bottom lip, she tried to think back to that map inside the tent in Uppottary. They dropped early, so, it would need to be a place before Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. But Abbey couldn't go on a guess, they needed to find a sign or something familiar to tell them where exactly they were at the moment.

"Sainte-Mere-Eglise". Abbey said quietly, "but I need proof that we're actually here".

"No, I think you're right". Nelson said to her.

"It's about five miles from here". She informed, "if that's the case".

They both walked away from the tree which had captured Nelson's chute and soon found a road, which led up towards some buildings. But they did see something that they needed. It was a sign. Turqueville. Nelson smiled, seeming happy with that answer, despite the terrible pain coming from his arm.

"Yes. We are in Sainte-Mere-Eglise". Abbey whispered, "now, we have to follow the road leading away from the small town".

Nelson sighed, "right – almost forgot about the war".

"Sarcasm".

"Yup".

They could still hear the odd firing, but Abbey decided to ignore it, seeing as the shots weren't going towards them. She just needed to get Nelson to a medic and find the rest of Easy. Abbey wanted to land near Toye and the rest of her squad but the chaos tore everyone away from each other, she figured they weren't the only ones lost in Sainte-Mere-Eglise.

"Coping?"

Abbey frowned a little.

Nelson shrugged, "it's not going to plan – you ain't wired-up?"

She shook her head, "I am worried for your arm".

"Don't". He mumbled softly, "I figure I'll be alright".

The road was wide and stony, with tire tracks imprinted onto the mud. On one side, they had a field and on the other, was the tree line. Abbey thought their best bet, was to follow this road for now and hope it led them towards the others.

"It's just the two of us". Nelson pointed out, "what if we get jumped?"

She looked at her rife.

"We have weapons". Abbey said, "we take no prisoners".

He snorted, "hey – glad you still feel that way".

"I am not a doll, Nelly".

Nelson grinned, "yeah, you already proved that".

Shaking her head, Abbey looked towards the tree line again.

"I'm sorry I ever called you that". He said.

Something caught her attention.

At first, Abbey thought it was her shadow but soon realised that theory was stupid. The moon wasn't out, there was no sun – obviously. So, it was another person. And she didn't know how to go about this because it could have been a friendly, but it could have been the enemy. Abbey took up her rifle, Nelson stopped walking, they both did.

"Abbey, it-"

** Bang! **

One shot fired out from the trees.

The flash from the gun took Abbey by surprise and she quickly got down on her knees. Nelson, however, fell to the ground behind her and couldn't even make a sound because the pain was so intense. Another shot ran out.

** Bang! **

Abbey had no other choice, she fired back.

There wasn't a target to make out at first, she was shooting blindly because the shooter had taken cover. But Abbey just needed to scare him off, just enough for him to uncover himself so she could get a better sight. Abbey stopped firing after taking two shots and waited. The bush rustled, she shot at the bush. And then, two hands were up in the air.

It was a German.

Abbey got onto her feet, staring at him.

Nelson gasped, letting out a quiet moan.

She continued to stare at the solider.

_ "Take no prisoners". _

Abbey didn't give it a second thought; she pulled the trigger and the German went down. But the real problem was behind her. Abbey reached her friend and got onto her knees. She dropped her rifle, trying to locate where Nelson got hit. He was reaching for his leg, his right thigh. Abbey ripped his trousers opened and her hands wondered towards the wound.

Abbey could feel her hand being covered by something warm.

She had found the bullet hole.

"Nelly, I think it's still in there-"

"get it out!"

Abbey swallowed, looking at him.

Nelson's eyes were wide, with utter panic.

"Abbey – get it out!"

He was bleeding, a lot more than his arm.

But Nelson was right, she had to get that bullet out.

Giving him a nod, Abbey placed her finger inside the hole.

He let out a gasp, choking on a scream.

She shook her head, "you can't scream, Nelly-"

"can't fucking help it". He pressed out between gritted teeth. "Ah – shit. I need something for the pain, Abbey".

"If I give you morphine, we will be stuck here until it wears off".

Nelson's teeth clenched together.

"Why are you fucking right?" He quietly raged, "alright – get it out".

"Okay but the hole is too small".

Nelson laughed, though it sounded more like a sob.

"Jesus Christ". He whispered, "right, use the knife".

Abbey took out her knife.

She didn't have anything to clean it with properly, so had to use the water from her canteen. It was all she had – no alcohol, or anything else. Water would just have to do it. So, after rinsing the knife with water, she pressed the blade into his skin and made the hole wider. Of course, it took a lot of effort for Nelson not to scream out in pain and causing more gunfire to head their way, but he managed all the same.

Abbey placed two fingers into his wound and located the bullet, which wasn't too far into his thigh. It had got stuck in his fat and didn't hit any muscle or bone. Abbey took the bullet out and used her own sulphur powder and bandage to sort him out once she was done. She looked at Nelson, who was sweating.

"I have the worst luck".

Abbey agreed with a nod; he did have the worst luck.

…

"I 'gotta sit".

"No, you are fine-"

"Abbey…".

Sighing, she nodded.

Nelson carefully sat down and leaned against a tree.

His hand went towards his thigh and his face twitched in pain.

They had been walking for over an hour now and Abbey thought they might have been lost. It felt like this road was never ending and she had to take a lot of calculated guesses on which way to turn, or which road to take. Nelson needed some serious medical attention, his wrist was broken, his arm had a huge gash and he had been shot in the leg.

"You should leave".

Abbey frowned, looking at him.

Nelson shook his head, "you should leave…and find the others".

Biting her lower lip, she eventually sat down next to him.

Leaning back against the tree, Abbey placed her hand on top of his.

"I don't want to do that". She said, "and I don't need to do that".

"You're an idiot-"

"you are hurt and don't think straight".

Nelson's lips twitched. "Hey, don't insult me. I'm hurt".

Abbey took his hand fully.

"I decided you are my friend".

"I thought I already was". He mumbled.

She shrugged, "I wanted to make it more official". Abbey whispered, "giving how we did not always see eye to eye at the start".

"I shouldn't have judged you so harshly". Nelson said, "dad always told me, never judge anyone cause we ain't perfect – nobody is".

She smiled small, "Bill told me the world would be boring if everyone was the same".

"He's right". He said to her quietly, "good to be nutty, huh?"

Abbey tightened her hold on his hand, "then let's keep going".

Nelson sighed, "shit, Abbey…my leg-"

"I'll carry you".

He pulled a face.

"What?" Nelson muttered, "Abbey – that's insane".

"No, get on my back". Abbey mumbled, "I am five foot something – not an infant".

"And what if we get shot?"

"Then we get shot together".

Nelson didn't know whether to yell at her or feel touched.

So, he called her a name instead.

"You really are an idiot, huh?"

"Yes". She whispered, "so, get on my back".

Abbey got up and helped Nelson stand.

She turned around, he placed his hands on her shoulders and managed to get onto her back no problem. Abbey didn't admit how heavy he was, but it wasn't like he could walk very far or quick enough on the ground. They needed to find the others and Nelson needed to see a medic and fast, before he further injured himself.

It had started to get light.

From their journey on this road, to Nelson getting shot – time was wearing thin. Being out in daylight with just the two of them, wasn't ideal. The Germans would spot them easier and they couldn't rely on the cover of darkness anymore. So, Abbey kept close to the tree line and kept her senses sharp, while she carried her friend down the road.

But they soon came towards another guess.

Abbey stopped.

Take the left or keep going straight down.

There wasn't a sign either.

Nelson felt heavy on her back; he must have passed-out.

Sighing softly, Abbey decided to take the left turn and follow another path.

It took her towards a flooded field, and she regretted this decision for a moment. With Nelson on her back, it was very hard to walk across the field. Her boots kept on getting stuck in the marshy grounds and the water reached her knees from the extra weight, pushing her down.

This was going to take a long time.

But Abbey couldn't turn back, she had already made the decision to go through this flooded field. It would take her even more time to turn back now. Plus, it was getting brighter by the minute, she'd need to find cover or get to wherever Easy were quickly.

However, a sound from behind her caused her to halt.

Abbey held her breath.

She was going to die.

_ Click-click. _

Blinking, Abbey looked towards her pocket.

Rubbing her lips together, she managed to slide her fingers inside her pocket, bringing out her dime-cricket. Abbey pressed back.

_ Click-click, click-click. _

"Who's that?"

Sighing, Abbey slowly turned around.

But the guy didn't lower his rifle.

"Who're you?" He asked.

She frowned a little.

Abbey had no idea who this guy was.

"Private?"

She nodded, "Harrison".

He lowered his weapon and turned around, giving a few guys behind him the all-clear. Abbey watched while heads and bodies popped-up from their cover. She didn't even hear them, they must have been behind her the entire time, just waiting to see what she'd do next.

Another young man made his way towards her, wading through the flooded field.

Abbey looked at him.

"Lieutenant Speirs, Dog Company – your outfit?"

"Easy". She told him quietly, "sir".

Speirs looked at Nelson, who was still asleep on her back.

"Your friend?"

Abbey nodded.

"Rusty – take over for Private Harrison".

Another young man soon walked quickly towards them.

Giving her a tight smile, Abbey soon felt Nelson's weight off her back.

She stumbled a little, Speirs quickly grabbed her arm.

"Alright, Private?" He mumbled.

Abbey nodded again.

"Follow us". Speirs told her, "we're heading towards Le Grand Chemin. Battalion are there".

"Yes, sir". She whispered, "all of them?"

He shook his head, "not a lot". He told her, "few guys from your Company. I came back to look out for anyone else".

They continued to walk through the flooded field.

For most of the time, Abbey remained quiet and Nelson stayed asleep.


	20. Chapter 19

"Abbey – over here!"

At the farm, Liebgott, Buck, Ranney, Hendrix, Plesha and Petty were there.

After everything, it was good to see familiar faces.

Especially someone from her squad.

Abbey made her way towards Liebgott with a small smile.

But he grinned and tossed his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. It had been a long night, with no sleep and constant walking. Abbey was ready to collapse onto the ground, but the sound of heavy firing kept her sharp and awake. It was coming from outside of town.

"Are those 88's?" She wondered quietly.

Liebgott nodded, "we think so".

He gave her arm a squeeze.

"You good?"

Abbey nodded, "are you?"

"Yeah, I'm good, Abbey". He replied, "better now…Meehan with you?"

She shook her head, "and he is not here either".

"Nope".

"Nelly will be evacuated". Abbey told him quietly, "he is badly hurt".

Liebgott sighed and pulled back, to look at her.

She looked back at him, "he will be okay, Lieb".

Men were coming in and out of the farm.

Some in smaller squads. Many of the men were still out there, missing and trying to find their Company and friends. All Abbey wanted to do was get Nelson back and find Easy. She had found a tiny part of Easy but at least Nelson could get seen to by a medic here. Her eyes caught Speirs, who was making his way over to his men. And when he looked her way, Abbey's eyes went to her boots.

Speirs didn't scare her, not really.

But he did seem intimidating.

Liebgott and Abbey made their way towards the others.

Abbey sat down on the ground and leaned back against a wall. Buck spotted her after she sat down and made herself comfortable. The Lieutenant smiled and crouched in front of her.

"Doing good, Abbey?"

"Yes, sir". She responded, "Nelly is very heavy".

Buck smirked, "yeah, I bet. Take a drink of water, alright?"

Nodding, Abbey reached to her side and brought out her canteen, proving that she would. But Buck didn't leave, until she uncapped her canteen and took a drink. Grinning, he clapped her shoulder and got back onto his feet. Just as another fire shot out.

Abbey lowered her canteen, looking towards the sound.

The rest did as well.

Sighing quietly, she put her canteen back and got onto her feet.

Abbey didn't think they'd be resting for much longer.

Liebgott's face suddenly lifted into another smile.

"Hey – Easy Company, over here!"

Turning around, her lips twitched.

The first guy she saw was Toye, her squad leader.

Shoulders dropping in relief, she made her way over to the group of Easy men, Winters had led the small squad. And with them was Lipton, Guarnere and Popeye. And someone else, who Abbey hadn't met before. He wasn't with Easy, probably another Company.

Toye surprised Abbey, by pulling her into a short hug.

With her face against his chest, she frowned.

Her arms lay stiffly by her side.

It made him laugh.

"Right – sorry, Abbey".

Pulling back, Toye smiled at her.

"Doing good?"

Coming out of her shock, Abbey nodded.

"Are you – what happened to your hand?"

And she took his hand, staring at it intently.

Toye pulled his hand back, shaking his head.

"Don't worry about it-"

"you are bleeding". Abbey mumbled, "are you in pain?"

"Abbey – it's fine, come on".

Guarnere gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"Hey, nut". He greeted lightly, "how's it going?"

"Yes. Lovely". Abbey said quietly, "who is that man?"

She nodded towards the guy she hadn't met before.

Guarnere snorted, "that's cowboy".

Liebgott nodded slowly, "Texas?"

'Cowboy', shook his head, looking a little pissed off.

"Manhattan".

Guarnere smirked.

Abbey frowned a little, looking at 'Cowboy'.

"What is your name?"

He looked back at her, "it's John Hall – Able Company".

"I'm Abbey Harrison". She said back, "Joe Toye is my squad leader".

Toye placed his hand on her shoulder, while Hall pulled a confused face.

"Alright, now that we're all fucking pals – let's take a seat".

"I'll get Malark". Popeye said.

Abbey's face lightened, "oh, is he with you?"

Toye nodded, "yeah and he ran into someone".

"Did he get hurt?"

Guarnere smirked, "nah – Abbey, he knows a kid outside the farm".

They all sat down by a grass verge, while the guns continued to fire out.

Abbey leaned back against the verge and took off her helmet, to wipe the sweat off her forehead but she quickly put it back on, before someone noticed. The men around her were quiet, while they sat down for the first time in hours to collect their thoughts and take a well-earned break.

Pulling her legs up, she placed her hands on her knees.

Lieutenant Meehan wasn't around, which left Winters in charge of Easy.

Not that all of Easy were present.

Toye nudged her shoulder, "how are you for ammo?"

"Fine". Abbey mumbled.

"Alright, good". He said, "might need it soon".

She bobbed her head, "you think we will be dealing with the 88's?"

"Maybe". Toye said, "do you?"

Abbey tilted her head to the side.

A few guys walked by them, both laughing and joking around.

Her eyes followed them, Abbey leaned forwards and saw John Hall, standing by himself. She sat back against the grass verge again, pressing the tips of her fingers together. Toye watched her closely, wondering what was going on through her head.

Couldn't have been anything bad, Abbey appeared fine.

Toye placed a hand on her shoulder, "I think we can handle it".

She looked at her boots, which were pressed against the mud.

"Especially you". He murmured, "you tough son of a bitch, huh?"

Abbey's lips twitched.

Toye grinned and squeezed her shoulder.

"Joe?" She mumbled.

"Yup?"

"Do you think…they're okay?"

Toye sighed, "the rest of the guys?"

Abbey nodded.

He lifted one shoulder, forming a shrug, "yeah, probably, Abbey".

Lieutenant Lavenson, an old Easy Company officer from Toccoa, soon came over and called up for Easy's CO to the farmhouse. And because Meehan wasn't around, Winters got up and followed the man towards the house, while the rest of Easy stayed seated. It was around this time where Malarkey came back, looking a little pale and shaky. He took a drink from his canteen, eyes staring at Speirs, who walked by them.

Abbey never asked why Malarkey was staring at the Lieutenant.

Not that she'd even get a chance because five minutes later, Easy were called up.

They soon entered a small part of a farmhouse.

Hall was standing with them and Speirs hovered in the back.

Winters was at a table, plan forming out in front of him.

"The 88's we've been hearing have been spotted in a field down the road aways. Major Strayer wants us to take them out". He told them, "there are two guns that we know of, firing on Utah beach. Plan on a third and a fourth. Here, and here…".

He drew an L-shaped trench, with X's, marking where the guns were.

The Germans were well hidden in the trenches. Hiding behind hedgerows.

"The Germans are in trenches with access to the entire battery. With machine-gun covering their rear". Winters continued, "we'll establish a base of fire and move under it hard and fast with two squads of three".

"How many Krauts do you think we're facing?" Guarnere asked.

Winters briefly looked at him.

"No idea".

The Sargent raised an eyebrow, "no idea?"

"We'll take some TNT along with us, to spike the guns. Lipton, your responsibility".

"Yes, sir". Lipton nodded.

"Liebgott, you'll take the first machine-gun with Petty assistant gunner. Plesha, Hendrix, you take the other. Who does that leave?"

Abbey raised her hand with the rest.

"Compton. Guarnere. Toye. Malarkey. Wynn and Harrison. Okay". Winters said, "we'll be making the main assault. Understood?"

"Yes, sir". Everyone responded.

"Alright let's pack it up, boys!" Lipton ordered.

Everyone started to clear the area, Hall was still standing there.

"Shouldn't you be outside with the other Able Company guys?" Toye asked him lowly.

Guarnere snorted, "see you around, Hall".

Abbey's eyebrows twitched, while she left the house with the rest.

Outside, everyone was getting ready to leave.

Winters soon came out and took hold of his rifle and ammo.

"Just weapons and ammo!" He ordered, "drop everything else. Got any spare ammo in a pack or musette bag, bring it along!"

Abbey just had the ammo on her uniform.

She took everything else off, leaving it in a pile with everyone else's.

Lorraine soon came over to Winters.

"Lieutenant, sir? I was wondering, sir, you need an extra hand?"

Toye pulled a face, "ain't you Sink's jeep driver?"

"So?"

Guarnere sighed, "oh, shit…".

Abbey placed a fresh clip into her rifle, ignoring the tension.

"What's your name, trooper?" Winters asked him.

"Lorraine, sir".

"You're with me, Lorraine".

Lorraine gave Abbey a smile.

Her lips twitched in return.

"Guess I could be good for something else, huh, Abbey?"

Blinking, she slung her rifle across her shoulder.

Grinning, Lorraine gave her shoulder a nudge. "You ain't changed a bit, huh?"

"I have". She mumbled, "if I didn't, I would not be here".

…

While Winters went up to scope out the area from behind a truck, the rest stayed down.

The guns were firing loudly.

Abbey's teeth were barred together, her jaw was starting to hurt. And the earth would rattle, ever so slightly from the impact of the guns. The sooner this ended, the sooner the noise would leave. Abbey just wanted this to go well. They had to hit the Germans hard and fast, if they found out a small amount of men were attacking over forty guys, the Germans would kill them all.

So, they'd need to attack from different sides.

Everyone was soon in place, once they crossed the field, Malarkey, Guarnere and Buck went off to secure the first gun, while Winters, Lorraine, Popeye, Toye and Abbey met them in the trench. Ranney and Lipton went off to cover them from the flanks, while they made their way towards the first gun. And from this position, Abbey could see the first gun.

Germans were running up and down the trench, going from one gun to another.

While across another field, were machine-guns and more of the enemy.

Abbey took in a deep breath and held up her rifle, finding a target by the first gun.

"One on the left, Abbey?" Toye asked her quietly.

She gave him a nod.

"Good – I've got the guy next to him".

There was no point in hitting the same target.

Winters then gave the signal to start firing.

Liebgott and Petty fired out first.

Their machine-gun ripped open.

It gave away their cover pretty quickly, but the Germans looked stunned by the attack and started to run up and down the trench or across the field, getting to their MG-42's. The rest of Winters assault squad started to fire out and Abbey pulled the trigger.

She flinched back a little.

The German fell down, hand going over his neck.

Taking in a shaky breath, Abbey looked for her next target.

With the firing going strong, Buck and his men managed to secure the first gun.

"Let's go!" Winters yelled, leading the way across the field.

They all followed after him, while bullets rained on them.

Abbey ran quickly towards that trench and jumped down.

She landed on her feet and looked to her right, seeing a German running towards them.

Pulling up her rifle, Abbey shot and pulled back.

The enemy were running across the field.

She moved towards the edge of the trench and started to fire out.

Toye was soon next to her.

But Popeye fell into the trench, crying out in pain.

"Fuck! My ass! I'm sorry, Lieutenant!"

He got shot in the butt.

Abbey thought that was a strange place to get hit.

Painful, however.

But strange.

Training kicked in for them and they fired out effectively. Abbey had used up the last of her clip, she took cover and re-loaded her rifle. Toye was with Popeye, checking out the damage. And Popeye was still apologising to Winters. With the new clip in, she was about to get onto her feet when a grenade landed right by Toye.

"Joe! Grenade!" Winters yelled, "roll out! Roll out!"

And Toye landed on top of Popeye, who yelled out in pain.

Abbey's eyes widened.

The grenade went off right behind them.

And Toye quickly sat up, making sure everything was still attached to his body. Abbey crawled towards the pair of them, she needed to see for herself that he was truly okay. Guarnere looked his way;

"you're one lucky bastard, Joe!" He said to him.

Abbey's eyes scanned his body, looking for any cuts or wounds.

Toye shook his head, "get back to work, Abbey!" He yelled, "we're fine!"

"Malarkey! Guarnere! Lorraine! Secure that gun!" Winters ordered, while he ran down the trench. "Compton! Covering fire!"

Reaching towards her webbing, Abbey brought out a grenade.

Pulling back the pin, she tossed it into the field.

It exploded; a few Germans fell back from the impact.

"Good job!"

Toye was back next to her again.

"I'll hit the next ones!"

Taking back cover, she grabbed another clip.

Bits of dirt and mud flicked against her eyelids and cheeks, while the bullets from across the field pinged against the earth. Abbey put in another clip and turned back around, firing out once again. She was in some sort of trance and felt completely focused. Targets moved but they slowed down, so she could hit them. And the noises around her quietened, so Abbey could concentrate on what was happening across the field.

Which was why she never heard Buck and Winters yell to get out of the trench.

A grenade had landed near Abbey and Toye.

Her squad leader grabbed her arm, pulling her towards the other side of the trench; their exit but just as they started climbing up, the grenade went off and the pair of them flew back. It wasn't a hard landed, their bodies crashed into wet and soft-ish mud. But Abbey couldn't hear a thing anymore, she had gone deaf from the explosion. Abbey's helmet had fallen off and her rifle lay by her side.

Hands shaking, she pressed them against the mud and slowly sat up.

But hands grabbed onto her jacket, pulling her up the rest of the way.

Abbey felt her helmet go back onto her head, her rifle now across her lap.

Blinking a few times, with a little cough, she looked up.

Buck gave her a tight smile, "alright?!"

Winters had Toye sitting up.

"Jesus Christ…fucking twice". He muttered.

Abbey rubbed her ears and gave the Lieutenant a tiny nod.

Buck clapped her shoulder, "good – let's get you up".

"Abbey, you good?!" Toye called out to her, sounding slightly alarmed.

Abbey was soon on her feet and took back hold of her rifle.

She gave another nod, "I'm not hurt!"

Winters gave them both a once over.

"Alright – let's get the second gun!"

And it was back to business.

Abbey fell in and ran with them down the trench and towards the second gun.

She was running behind Winters, with Toye behind her and Buck at the back.

The two officers went into a ditch, to get a closer look at the gun.

While Abbey and Toye covered for them.

They both walked towards the edge of the trench and kept their eyes peeled.

The Germans were hammering down at the first gun still.

Bullets were pouring at Guarnere, Malarkey and Lorraine.

Soon enough, the four of them moved down the trench and brought out grenades.

On Winters command, they tossed their grenades into the second gun and then ran after the impact. When the dust settled, Abbey took out one German, while the other surrendered and began to shout and beg for his life. Toye had it under control but soon grew annoyed.

"Shut up".

He had his rifle up.

The German wouldn't stop.

"Shut the fuck up!" Toye snapped.

Abbey jumped a little.

"No make dead!" The German yelled.

And then, Toye punched him and knocked the German out.

Nodding, Winters gave Toye's shoulder a clap and moved towards the front of the gun with Buck. Abbey walked over to her squad leader and looked down at his hand. She frowned, looking a little curious.

"Brass knuckles?" She mumbled.

Toye clenched his hand a few times, nodding.

"Almost forgot to pack them".

Abbey looked at him, "I did not pack them".

Toye shrugged, "you ever need to borrow them, let me know".

She gave him a nod, "okay".

Smirking, Toye gave her shoulder a nudge.

"Go on, to the side".

Abbey got to one side, Toye was on the other.

She fired out towards the field, while he covered the left.

"Abbey! On me!" Winters soon called out to her.

Getting up and staying low, Abbey ran behind him and back down towards the 1st gun.

She took a shot here and there but was running low on ammo.

When they reached the 1st gun, she dove for cover and put in another round.

Winters reached over her and gave Guarnere's arm a tap.

"Where's Lipton with that TNT?!"

"Don't know, sir!"

The bullets were hitting them from all ends at this gun. Abbey could barely move, and Malarkey was pressed up against the side, flinching back from the flying bullets every now and then. They needed more firepower and they needed that TNT, which was still with Lipton, who was currently having trouble getting past that first field. But they didn't know that at the time.

Winters moved away from the cover and slid in between Malarkey and Abbey.

"Abbey, I need your help with something!"

She looked up at him and nodded.

"Get back to HQ! We need more firepower, machine-guns!"

Abbey gave him another nod.

"See about TNT!" Winters went on.

"Yes, sir!"

So, slinging her rifle across her shoulder, Abbey crawled towards the edge of the trench.

She'd need to cross the field and stay low, the entire time.

"Stay down, Abbey!" Winters gave her a boost up the trench. "Don't lift any part!"

It was almost like the exercise they did at Thanksgiving. Only this time, it was the real deal and more than two machine-guns were flying over her. Abbey was on her stomach, using her arms and legs to move her along the wet grass. The field was around two-hundred yards. It was well out in the open, once she got passed that hedgerow.

But Abbey wasn't afraid.

And once she got out of that field, she got back up and ran down the road.

Back at the farm, she bumped into John Hall and almost fell back.

"You're from Easy, right?"

Abbey steadied herself and gave him a nod.

Hall frowned, "everything okay?"

Her eyes scanned the area and they soon landed on Captain Hester's.

"Sir!" She called, jogging over to him. "Sir – Lieutenant Winters has requested additional firepower and TNT-"

"I've got TNT". Hall said, while running over to them.

"Sir, we need machine-guns". Abbey continued, "Lieutenant Winters needs them".

Hester stared at her and slightly baffled, gave her a nod.

"O-of course, Private Harrison – Private Hall, bring your TNT".

She let out a tiny sigh of relief.

Hall gave her a small smile, "no problem, huh?"

Abbey's eyebrows twitched.

She looked at Hall's musette bag, "bring your TNT".

"In my bag".

"Okay".

Abbey led the way towards the field with the rest.

She got back down on her stomach, the others followed suit and they made their way across the field. Luckily, no one got hurt during their crawl down the open field. And Abbey could see the trench again and the 1st gun, where Winters and the rest were waiting. She got up once they reached the hedgerow and allowed Hester and Hall to drop in first.

The fire was still fierce from their current position, Abbey had to immediately take cover.

"Hiya, Cowboy!" Guarnere called to Hall cheerfully.

"Shut your fucking Guinee trap, Gonorrhoea!" He shot back.

And it made Guarnere grin, "he's alright that, kid!"

"Jesus, you've got a whole Kraut Platoon out there!" Hester exclaimed.

"Probably more, Captain!" Winters replied.

"Need any help?!"

"I need ammo, sir and lots of it – and TNT!"

Abbey gave Hall's arm a nudge.

"I've got TNT, sir!" He told him.

"Good job, Private!" Winters said, gesturing towards the front of the gun.

Hall and the Lieutenant soon moved towards the 1st gun.

Abbey started to fire out from the edge of the trench again.

"Fire in the hole!"

Winters used the German stick grenades to set the TNT off with.

And soon, they had destroyed the first gun.

With that done, Winters, Lorraine, Malarkey, Hall and Abbey all ran towards the second gun.

The problem seemed to increase with the ammo.

Buck was running low; a few others had almost run out.

Including Abbey.

"Think you've got enough to take the third gun?!" Winters asked Buck.

"We'll soon find out, Dick". He said, "Malarkey, let's go! Toye, cover us!"

The two of them quickly scurried off.

Winters turned to Abbey.

"Abbey, take Hall! Go to the third gun!"

She nodded, "yes, sir!"

Abbey put another round into her gun.

Winters gave them both a nod, "keep your heads down!"

With that said, they headed towards the trench.

"Hall!" Winters called, "leave your TNT!"

Abbey waited, until Hall took off his bag.

When he was finished, she led the way through the trench. Everything was still very loud and rushed, the bullets went flying over her head and she stayed low the entire time. Abbey reached an underpass, which would take them up to the 3rd gun. While she was about to head through, she stopped and turned around.

Only to see that Hall was lying on the ground.

Frowning, Abbey got back down and walked over to him.

Getting onto her knees, she gave his shoulder a gentle shake.

Nothing.

"John Hall?!" Abbey called out.

But she never got a response.

And then, she noticed the blood coming out from the side of his head.

Abbey blinked and heard herself gasp.

Swallowing thickly, she slowly backed away from him.

Though her eyes continued to stare.

Winters came running through the trench soon after Abbey had moved back.

She had no idea how long she had been staring at Hall, but it was long enough for Winters to destroy the 2nd gun. The Lieutenant knelt in front of Hall, swatting a few flies from his face. Then, he moved towards Abbey and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Up we go, come on!"

Abbey didn't know how she got onto her feet.

It was all very surreal.

But Winters didn't let go of her shoulder until they reached the 3rd gun and Abbey was sitting, taking cover from the enemy. Breathing heavily, one hand hovered by her ear, while she stared at her knees, which were pulled up towards her chest. Suddenly, Abbey felt very small. Not scared but she felt something. Maybe vulnerable.

"Fire in the hole!"

Buck yelled.

Abbey flinched, when the gun exploded.

Closing her eyes for a moment, she started to count in her head.

_"Sixty…fifty-nine…fifty-eight…fifty-seven…fifty-six". _

Malarkey cursed under his breath, "running out of ammo, Buck!"

"Dammit – me too!"

Winters had made his own discovery in one of the trenches.

There were maps, which had gun positions around Normandy.

With the third gun destroyed, they'd need to think of a plan for the fourth.

But soon, Speirs and some guys from Dog Company showed up.

And better yet, the man brought ammo.

"Winters! Hester said you needed ammo!"

"Malarkey! Take as much as you can for everyone!"

Abbey looked over at Speirs.

Her hand moved away from her ear and she grabbed her rifle again.

A few clips were soon placed on her lap, Malarkey gave her a tiny smile before he scooted off with the rest of the ammo.

"Mind if D Company takes a shot at the next gun?!" Speirs asked.

Winters looked at him, "all yours!"

"Let's go, Dog Company!"

But Speirs didn't go without Guarnere, who soon ran after them.

Toye ran towards Abbey, while Lipton and Ranney reached Winters.

"Sir. Had a little trouble getting through that first field!" He explained, bringing out the TNT.

Winters pointed to the destroyed 3rd gun.

Lipton sighed, "oh Christ…".

"We're 'gonna need it at the next gun. Once it's blown, pull out. Go!"

Abbey looked over the trench again.

The machine-gun fire was still very intense.

And with the fourth gun destroyed, they pulled back to Battalion.

So, they destroyed four guns.

Which weren't 88's, they were 105's.


	21. Chapter 20

"In here".

"Yeah, looks good enough".

"It's a barn, you stupid mick".

Toye stepped into the barn first and gave it a nod of approval.

The shattered men of Easy sluggishly stepped inside.

It had been a few hours of intense fighting, but it wasn't over yet. But before they were called up for even more fighting, they decided to close their eyes for a few moments. They settled down on some straw and closed their eyes. But Toye looked over at Malarkey.

"Where the hell's your helmet, Malark?"

He sighed, "left it back under that gun".

"Idiot".

"Yup".

Though it had been almost two days since she last slept, Abbey's eyes remained open.

She didn't see the point in sleeping, they'd be woken up soon enough.

Liebgott turned to face her.

He frowned a little.

But Abbey would never say if something bothered her.

Her eyes said it all, however.

Dazed, and a little lost.

Reaching out to her, Liebgott's fingers brushed against her hand.

Abbey blinked and looked down, watching his fingers carefully.

Her eyes then moved towards his, he gave her a small smile.

Abbey's lips twitched back, as if she was meaning to smile.

The barn door opened; Winters stepped inside.

"Alright, on your feet everyone! Let's go – hang tough!"

Back on their feet once more, they headed out the door.

Winters had secured four Sherman tanks.

Abbey, Toye, Malarkey and Guarnere walked along side one together.

The tanks had come up from Utah beach and they were there to assist on taking out the last of the German machine-gun nests. It was a very quick but intense amount of fire, coming from their side, anyway. Malarkey was on his mortar, Toye and Abbey were on one machine-gun, Guarnere was on the other. Once the tanks had blasted through that hedgerow, the Germans didn't stand a chance and the battle was won very quickly and effectively. Better yet, Malarkey got his helmet back, which had a picture of his girl, Bernice, tucked inside.

He was very happy with the outcome.

Abbey simply stood by the trenches, admiring the quiet for a few moments.

But they were on the move once again, to Culoville, which now served as Battalion HQ. They arrived as it was starting to get dark, Winters set up outposts and what not, to keep this causeway secured. For the men not on outpost, they sat down and enjoyed something to eat and found a place to sleep for the night.

She decided to go on outpost first that night.

The outposts were set up around the outside of the town, mostly.

Abbey's was hidden beside the trees and near a path across from her.

She was away from the town but still in range for radio contact back to CP.

It was isolating.

But Abbey appreciated the quiet for now.

And because it was so quiet, she managed to hear a rustle behind her.

Grabbing her rifle, Abbey sharply turned around.

"Flash". The voice whispered.

Nodding slowly, she lowered her rifle.

It was Winters – not a German.

The Lieutenant got into the foxhole beside her.

He smiled a little, "you almost had me, trooper".

Abbey gave her head a little shake, with a tiny snort.

"I wouldn't have fired first, sir".

Winters gave a nod, "oh, that's good, Abbey".

Biting her lower lip, she stared out towards the path next to the treeline.

"Have you eaten?"

She gave her a head a shake.

"Well, after you switch, get something to eat". Winters told her, "and some sleep".

Abbey's eyes squinted slightly, as if she was trying to figure something out.

And her head tilted to the side.

Winters carried on watching her closely.

He saw that look on her face after what happened to Hall.

And he needed to make sure she was going to be okay.

But soon, her eyes widened.

And it made Winters frown.

"Abbey, are you-"

"get down, sir".

She whispered.

The pair of them quickly took cover inside the foxhole.

And soon, the sound of hobnailed boots reached his ears. The Germans were walking down the path by the treeline, heading in the opposite direction of the town – luckily. Abbey could smell the strong stench of German tobacco as well. The troops marched right passed Winters and Abbey, they didn't notice their foxhole or the two bodies ducking inside.

Thank God the American Army issued their troops with rubber soles and heals and not hobnailed boots, like the Germans had. It was easy for Abbey to hear them first, she heard a thump down the path and just knew it wasn't the Americans, or any other allied force.

When the troops marched far enough away, Abbey and Winters slowly looked up.

She saw that they walked away from the town and not close enough to raise an alarm.

That was a close call, however.

Abbey's heart was racing a little.

Sighing, Winters leaned back against the edge of the foxhole.

"Maybe you're too far away from town, trooper".

"No, this was a good idea, sir".

He looked at her, "you think?"

Rubbing her lips together, Abbey nodded and took hold of her rifle again.

_ "Abbey, take Hall! Go to the third gun!" _

She itched the back of her neck, which burned slightly.

Sighing, Abbey moved towards the edge of the foxhole and stared out.

Winters was still next to her.

"You did good today, trooper". He told her warmly, "I'm proud of you all".

She didn't know what to say to that.

Winters cleared his throat, "good job on getting Captain Hester and Hall".

Abbey's jaw twitched.

"You should be proud of yourself".

She didn't feel proud.

…

"Hey, Abbey!"

It was very reassuring to see Jackson back with them.

He wore a huge smile on his face, one which Abbey needed to see.

Jackson managed to find a good amount from Easy.

Grant, McClung, Skip, Penkala, Dukeman and Martin, too.

A lot of others showed up that night in Culoville.

Smitty, Carson, Hoobler, Diel, Boyle, Luz, Perconte, Bull and more.

Welsh had turned up with around thirty guys shortly after the battery assault.

And hopefully, the rest would soon join them.

Toye was just glad to have most of his squad back.

"Get some sleep". He told them, "Abbey, your off watch – Malark and Skip are taking over".

Getting into a ditch, Abbey and Liebgott lay down.

It wasn't raining, Liebgott placed the blanket around them.

But her eyes wouldn't close, they continued to stare up at the sky.

He turned to face her, "what're you thinking?"

Abbey's face remained impassive.

But her eyes did flicker with something when he asked.

Liebgott sighed quietly, "we ain't going back to this, Abbey".

"What?" She mumbled.

"You – not talking and shit". He muttered, "drives me fucking mad".

Abbey frowned.

"Then don't talk to me".

Liebgott pulled a face. "You fucking serious? It's taken me ages to be your friend-"

"no". She whispered, "you don't like me at all that much".

He raised an eyebrow.

Liebgott looked away from her and stared at the sky.

"You don't know shit, Abbey".

Abbey didn't respond.

Liebgott shook his head, "maybe you don't like me, huh?"

He looked back at her.

She didn't shake her head or make any gesture.

Sighing, Liebgott looked at the sky again.

"See what I-"

"you are wrong". Abbey mumbled, "very wrong".

He smirked a little, "alright…so, we friends?"

She nodded.

"Yes".

"Alright, good". He mumbled, "so, you 'gonna tell me what you're thinking?"

Abbey frowned.

"No". She said.

Liebgott snorted, "whatever, Abbey".

Abbey rubbed her hands together.

Her fingers brushed against the blanket.

"I killed Hall".

Liebgott frowned and slowly turned to face her.

Abbey's face was still blank, "he was behind me. And he died but I did not".

He shook his head.

"No – nah, that ain't…it ain't your fault". He whispered, "shit, Abbey…".

"It could have been prevented". Abbey mumbled, "I can work out the errors in my head. Hall raised his head, the sniper got him. Perhaps if he was in front of me, I might have reminded him to keep his head down".

Liebgott leaned against his elbows and sat up a little.

"Or, perhaps Hall shouldn't have come along to begin him. I could have easily taken the TNT from him. Meaning, only Hester and the machine-gunners would have followed me back. You see, there are other ways around this-"

"Abbey".

She closed her mouth.

Liebgott sighed quietly, "alright, I see your point".

Abbey gave a tiny nod.

"But it ain't your fault". He repeated, more firmly this time.

"I – I don't feel good about it".

"You won't". Liebgott said softly, "but Abbey, don't go blaming yourself. You can't see the future. And you can't change the past".

Her eyes moved and soon landed on his.

Liebgott gave her a small smile, "you're a good person, Abbey".

He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"And Hall did a good thing, he saved the day".

Abbey's eyes softened.

"And you're my friend". Liebgott reminded her, "I like you a whole lot".

"Yes". She whispered, "he did save the day. You are right".

Smiling more now, he squeezed her shoulder.

Liebgott lay back down.

The pair of them stared back up at the sky once again.

"Why do you cut hair?"

Liebgott huffed out a tiny laugh, "why you asking me that?"

"I was curious". Abbey mumbled, "do you enjoy it?"

He sighed softly, "uh – yeah, I guess. I mean, was my dad's barbershop and I liked to help out when I could, you know?"

"This is my first job".

Liebgott ended up chuckling quietly.

"Some first day, huh?"

Abbey smiled a little.

And then, a tiny laugh came out from her.

Liebgott frowned and faced her.

He huffed, "Jesus, Abbey".

The laugh ended quickly, like last time with Skip.

He shook his head, with an amused smile.

"Ain't ever heard you laugh".

"Yes but…you made a sarcastic remark". She said, "and it was funny".

Abbey sighed quietly.

"It's all very odd". She mumbled, "and…and I'd better laugh, rather than feel something else".

They were met with silence.

Liebgott placed his hands under his head.

While Abbey slowly felt her eyes grow heavier by the second.

He looked at her for a few moments.

And he smiled softly, "get some sleep, huh?"

"Okay".

Within a few minutes, Abbey was sleeping soundly.


	22. Chapter 21

After securing Angoville, Easy were now placed in reserve.

Their main responsibility was defending the 506th Regimental Headquarters.

It was a small place, with one line of houses leading up to a church.

However, Angoville was littered with dead bodies.

Germans, Americans, cows and horses.

Death lay everywhere.

To escape the smell and sights of death, the men grabbed what they could from the houses. Alcohol, mostly. Two types of brandy, Cognac and Calvados. Many would get very drunk, so drunk, that they couldn't form words. While others passed out in their foxholes and had no memory of the previous night.

Abbey stayed clear of the brandy.

She had a sip and didn't like the taste or the feeling.

Currently, Abbey and Jackson were taking a small patrol around the village. It was a quiet night, with the odd firing back and forth but nothing out of the ordinary. Toye had sent them out, after Liebgott and McClung came back from their small patrol. It was their turn for watch that night. It beat being stuck inside a foxhole for two hours, at least they got to walk around in the rain, instead of sitting and drowning in it.

"I can't believe you and Bill were in jail".

"I would not lie".

Jackson snorted, "I know, Abbey". He said, "but hell, could never picture you in a cell".

"Maybe you don't know me at all".

He grinned and nudged her shoulder, "shut up, huh? You ain't that complex".

Abbey frowned a little.

They were slowly walking past a house, to their left.

She sighed quietly, "yes. I'm rather boring".

Jackson huffed, "yeah, fucking right".

They had half an hour left.

And so far, the pair hadn't come across anything during their patrol.

Liebgott and McClung hadn't either.

"You know, it's pretty quiet-"

But then, a tiny scream flew above their heads.

Abbey looked up and could make out something familiar in the sky.

"Mortar!" She yelled.

And quickly, they dropped to the ground.

But the shell had already hit the house.

Bricks and shrapnel flew everywhere.

The ground shook, Abbey covered her head, while derbies cut into her hand.

After the impact, a giant cloud of smoke clouded her vision.

Abbey coughed, while the smoke entered her mouth and stung her eyes.

Groaning softly, she turned her head to the side.

Jackson was lying next to her, eyes closed.

Frowning, Abbey scooted towards him and grabbed his shoulder.

"Jack". She called out, giving him a shake. "Jack!"

He didn't budge.

Abbey placed her finger against the side of his neck.

She could feel a pulse, but Jackson was unconscious.

His helmet had fallen off during the fall and shrapnel had cut into the side of his head. It left a large and open gash. Abbey pressed her hand against the wound, while she turned to face the other direction, trying to see if the Germans were preparing another attack.

Abbey couldn't see anything.

No movements, no figures.

Nothing.

Taking in a deep breath, she got onto her knees and moved to the front of Jackson.

Hands going under his armpits, Abbey got onto her feet and started to drag him away.

Her goal was the church, that's where Roe had set-up the aid station.

But that goal was a lot further than she thought.

Another scream filled the sky.

Abbey figured it was a good thing she had heard the shell coming.

She jumped on top of Jackson, while it slammed and exploded into the same house.

And wasting no time, Abbey got back onto her feet after and continued to drag her friend away from the danger. Luckily for Abbey, mortars were loud, and it quickly pulled the attention from Guarnere and Toye's squads. She bumped into them, while dragging Jackson away.

"Abbey – where?!" Toye asked.

"The left!" She replied, "seventy-five yards!"

"Need a hand?!"

"No!" Abbey told Toye, "just get rid of them!"

With two squads on the case, she didn't have anything else to worry about.

Except Jackson, who was still out cold.

But Abbey reached the church, without giving him any more injuries. She opened the door with her leg and dragged Jackson inside. Roe quickly ran over to help her and together, they lifted Jackson up and got him onto a bed. The medic took off Jackson's helmet and saw the wound.

"Get me a bandage, towel and warm water".

Abbey nodded.

Turning around, she ran around the church and grabbed a bandage and towel.

Then, she filled up a pot of water and placed it above a gas burner.

Abbey handed Roe the bandage and towel.

The medic placed the towel against Jackson's wound.

"Hand me my kit, I need to stich him up – has he had morphine?"

"No". Abbey informed him.

She grabbed Roe's medical bag and brought out the morphine first.

He stuck the syrette into Jackson, who let out a tiny moan.

Abbey frowned and placed her hand on top of her wounded friends' hand.

After a few minutes, she handed Roe the warm water.

The medic got to work on cleaning out the wound.

Jackson groaned, eyes beginning to open.

Abbey stared at him, eyes a little wide.

"Hi". He breathed out, "'m'okay".

"Yes". She whispered, taking his hand again. "Doc is looking after you".

"He's great". Jackson said through a content sigh.

Abbey blinked and looked over to Roe, who was smiling.

"Don't worry". The medic assured her, "the morphine has nice side effects".

"He is sewing your head". She mumbled, head tilting with curiosity.

Jackson pulled a slightly disturbed face.

"That's horrible".

Abbey shook her head, "no, it's fine".

"My brains falling out".

"You are being dramatic". Abbey whispered, "you still have your brain".

Jackson snorted, "ha – yeah…".

She looked back at her friend; who's eyes were closed once more.

"Jack?" Abbey called out quietly.

Roe looked at his patient, "don't worry, Abbey". He said smoothly, "it's the morphine".

She squeezed Jackson's hand anyway.

Just to soothe her own worries.

Roe glanced over at her.

"He'll be evacuated back to England".

Abbey gave a small nod.

Yes, she thought that might happen.

His wound was terrible.

"I don't think he'll have lasting effects". Roe continued, "headaches, maybe some dizziness for a few months but nothing too serious".

Abbey let go of his hand.

She rubbed her hands against her dirty trousers.

They were covered in Jackson's blood.

"I will get you a jeep". Abbey told the medic lowly.

And before he could respond, she quickly made her way towards the doors.

Once outside, Abbey let out a shuddering breath.

Hand pressing against the wall, she leaned heavily against it.

Closing her eyes, Abbey took in a few deep breaths.

Her stomach turned, churning with different feelings.

Abbey rubbed her lips together furiously, trying to get better control of herself. She just had to remain focused on her next task; get Jackson out of here. Exhaling, Abbey started to walk down the path and out onto the single road once more.

And then, her pace picked up into a run.

Abbey reached CP in a matter of minutes.

Inside, Winters and Buck were quietly discussing something.

"Excuse me, sir".

The two officers turned to face her.

"Abbey, been meaning to find you". Buck said, "that patrol, Guarnere and Toye's guys took care of it – how's Jackson doing?"

"He needs to be evacuated". Abbey mumbled, "sir – he needs a jeep".

Winters nodded, "alright – we'll handle it. Head back to your Platoon, trooper".

"Yes, sir".

Now that she had done her job, Abbey walked back to her Platoon.

…

"Can I see?"

Toye, who was chewing on his ration, looked at her.

Abbey sat down next to him.

Clearing his throat, Guarnere raised an eyebrow.

"See what?"

She nodded towards Toye's hand, "does it still hurt?"

Her squad leader sighed, "Abbey – it ain't sore. What'd I tell you, huh?"

"Why haven't you changed your bandage?"

"Abbey…it don't need changing".

Abbey tilted her head to the side, with a thoughtful look.

"Are you sure?"

Toye gave a firm nod, "yeah".

But she still took hold of his hand anyway.

The squad leader pulled a face, which was crossed between discomfort and irritation. Guarnere snorted, however and looked a little amused at the interaction between them. Abbey rubbed her lips together, while she carefully untied the bandage, revealing his cut up hand and wrist.

She stared down at the cuts.

The blood was dry, but she could see bits of shrapnel still inside.

"It will turn infected". Abbey mumbled, "you need treatment".

"Nah – I ain't doing that". Toye argued.

Face forming into a tiny frown, she looked back at him.

He sighed, "they can't take me off the line for this shit, Abbey".

"Okay". She whispered, "then I will help".

Inside her webbing, Abbey had another bandage in her aid kit.

After sprinkling on some sulphur powder, she carefully and neatly wrapped Toye's hand. Abbey tied the bandage together, with a small and tight knot.

"You must get the shrapnel removed".

Toye rolled down his sleeve, covering most of the bandage.

"Don't worry about me, Abbey". He said, "I'll be alright".

Abbey faced the front.

Most of the men were outside, standing around a set of stairs and showing off items they had found inside the houses. But her eyes were looking for a friendly face, one she hadn't seen since they left England. Blithe. He still hadn't joined Easy since their drop. Blithe's whole squad had arrived, they were just missing him.

Buck had been searching for Guarnere.

But soon spotted him, sitting with Toye and Abbey.

The Lieutenant walked over to them.

"Gurno, we'll be moving out soon".

"No, shit…where to, boss?"

"Following in behind F Company". He said, "we're taking Carentan".

Toye looked at him, "yeah?"

Buck nodded, "yeah…it'll be a night march, should get there by the next morning".

"Well…look who decide to show up, Floyd!" Sounded a cheerful voice.

Abbey searched the group of men, when she heard Luz.

And then, her eyes landed on Blithe.

Standing up, she watched her friend make his way over to Dukeman and Perconte.

A weight had been taken off her shoulders – Blithe was okay.

And without saying anything, Abbey left her friends and made her way towards the steps. Perconte was showing off his watches. She sat herself down next to Dukeman and Blithe.

"So, have we lost anybody?" Blithe asked quietly.

"Tommy Burgess took one in the face. Popeye Wynn got pinked in the behind. They're 'gonna be okay". Dukeman replied.

Abbey blinked and looked towards Blithe.

His eyes looked a little glassy.

But other than that, he didn't seem hurt.

"That's good". He whispered.

"You run into Lieutenant Meehan on your travels?" Perconte asked.

Blithe shook his head, "no, why?"

"Company's HQ are still missing. They think the plane went down".

"They say he's 'gonna turn up". Dukeman pointed out.

Perconte let out a short laugh, "yeah, I ain't holding my breath".

"Who's in command now?" Blithe wondered.

"Winters for now". Dukeman told him. "Welsh is still 1st Platoon".

Soon enough, Blithe caught Abbey staring at her.

His lips twitched, "hey, Abbey".

"Hello". She mumbled softly.

Blinking, Abbey looked over his shoulder.

"Are you hurt?"

Blithe shook his head, "no, I'm fine. Are you?"

"Yes. Fine".

"Oh, good". He said softly, "you got any watches like Perconte?"

The man in question smirked, "yeah right, Blithe. These are priceless".

Abbey ignored the question.

"Where did you go?"

Blithe frowned a little and looked away from her.

"Just got lost, Abbey".

Eyebrows twitching, she slowly looked back at him.

"Are you sure?" Abbey asked quietly.

He nodded, "yeah – big place, huh?"

"Yes". She mumbled, "it's a little…big".

With that said, Abbey got back up.

She was certain Blithe was okay.

And was glad to see him back.

"Easy, moving out!"

"2nd Platoon, let's go-"

"1st squad, on me!"

Abbey turned her head and saw Toye, who was calling out for his squad.

She left the stairs and headed over to him.

It was time to move on again.


	23. Chapter 22

Captain Sobel had seen to it that Easy Company endured many night problems.

Night marches, field exercises and going through cross-country.

The men were completely at ease with working in the dark.

But the same couldn't have been said for others.

They set out for Carentan through marshy fields. The terrain was rough and very difficult to walk through. Bodies were littered everywhere, blocking their paths. Bodies were hard to spot in the dark, Abbey had a hard time keeping her balance half the time. At one point, she crashed into Malarkey's back, who fell into Guarnere. They almost had a domino effect. But Skip and Penkala saved the day.

And then came into another problem.

Easy kept on losing contact with Fox Company.

F Company would hit a rough section, work its way through and then continue at a fast pace. Regimental HQ kept changing orders for the boundaries of the 1st and 2nd Battalions. The Companies would then have to stop, dig in, set up machine-guns, before they got the order to move out once again.

The night march wasn't going well, and it was taking up a lot of time.

Once over the Douve river and heading towards the railroad track, Easy lost contact with Fox Company, yet again. Easy came to a halt. Word came back down that they had lost contact again, a collective of quiet groans were heard as the news went to each man in their Platoons.

Abbey shouldered her rifle, while Liebgott and Petty set-up their machine-gun.

Buck soon came towards her, "you're needed up top, Abbey".

She reached the start of the Company pretty quickly.

Where Welsh then told Hoobler to take herself and Blithe out, to look for Fox Company and get contact back within range. The three of them took off down the path and kept towards the tree line. Abbey was in the front, eyes scanning the place carefully. She could hear Hoobler and Blithe behind her, boots snapping against twigs and hands slapping against their necks from all the mosquitoes trying to bite their flesh.

It was almost like being back in Toccoa with the flies.

The weather was muggy, rainy and stormy in Normandy.

They rarely saw the sun.

Abbey led the small squad for a good ten to fifteen minutes.

The three of them were inside a treeline, listening out for any sounds.

And Abbey managed to catch the sound of another pair of boots.

Holding up her hand, the three of them crouched down.

Abbey held up her rifle, looking towards two trees, which had a large gap between them.

Hoobler moved up towards her side, "what is it, Abbey?" He whispered.

She looked through her sight.

And a few seconds later, a head appeared.

"Flash!" Hoobler hissed.

"Thunder".

The young man came out from his cover, behind one of the trees.

Abbey lowered her rifle and the three of them raised to their feet.

"I can hear ya'll all the way across the field". The guy said.

"You from F Company?" Hoobler asked.

"That's right". He confirmed, "where've ya'all been?"

"Blithe, Abby…go back to the Lieutenant. Tell him we've found F Company". Hoobler told the pair of them, "I'll figure out where these yokels are at".

"Hey…who you calling a yokel?"

Abbey and Blithe turned away from Hoobler and made their way back.

They started to take the same route, but Abbey was certain they'd reach their Company quicker if they moved out of the tree line quicker. Blithe was walking a few feet behind her and Abbey led them both quietly through the treeline, quickly locating the path.

Neither of them talked.

Which was normal, for the two friends.

However, Blithe gasped.

Abbey stopped walking and sharply turned around.

Blithe had raised his rifle, aiming it towards a dead German.

To be fair on Blithe, the dead German had his arms stretched out.

But Abbey could see something cross her friends' light eyes.

_ Fear? _

She wasn't sure.

Licking her bottom lip, Abbey took a step towards him.

But then, she heard a twig snap.

Now, both of them raised their rifles and turned around.

But it wasn't the enemy, it was Nixon and Winters.

"He's dead, Private". Nixon said.

Abbey lowered her rifle.

Blithe swallowed and turned back to face the German.

"Did you find Fox Company?" Winters asked.

"Yes, sir". He whispered, "I thought he…I thought he had me".

"Fallshcirmjager". Nixon said, once he looked at the German.

"Paratrooper?" Blithe asked quietly.

"Division thinks there's a regiment of them holding Carentan".

Abbey looked back towards the dead German soldier.

Blithe moved closer to him, hands reaching out towards a very small white flower, tucked inside the German's front jacket pocket. She frowned, thinking it was a very curious thing to see on a soldier's jacket.

"Well, there's one less to worry about". Winters whispered.

"Yeah…that's Edelweiss". Nixon told Blithe, "that only grows in the Alps above the treeline. Which means he climbed up there to get it".

Abbey's eyes softened.

"It's supposed to be the mark of a true soldier". He finished.

She crouched in front of the German and took the flower from his jacket pocket.

Abbey held it up to her face, looking at it closely.

"You two head back to your Platoons". Winters told the Privates, "we'll locate Corporal Hoobler and F Company".

"Yes, sir". Blithe whispered.

Abbey placed the flower back into the Germans pocket, before getting onto her feet. The pair of them soon walked back down the treeline, heading towards the others. Blithe glanced at Abbey for a few seconds, before he faced the front again.

"I didn't get lost". Blithe whispered.

Her face twitched into a small frown.

He swallowed, "I – uh – I fell asleep". Blithe admitted, "those pills made me woozy".

"For five days?" Abbey mumbled.

He gave his head a little shake.

"No". Blithe croaked, "uh…I hid in a ditch".

Her frown deepened.

She was more confused.

"Why?" Abbey asked quietly.

Blithe didn't reply straight away.

Letting out a little sigh, Abbey looked at him.

But wished she hadn't.

Blithe's eyes were filled with unleashed tears.

"I was scared". His voice broke.

Abbey's jaw clenched.

She looked away from Blithe and faced the front again.

But something inside of her tightened and pulled on her heart.

Abbey rubbed her fingertips against her rifle.

Blithe bit down on her bottom lip, "you're mad".

She quickly shook her head.

"No". Abbey whispered, "I am not mad".

He sniffed, "why?"

"Because you didn't do anything wrong".

Blithe rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.

She wasn't good at this. Abbey wasn't scared. Not really. But she might have been, if her mind worked the same as her friends. Fear wasn't something that Abbey felt a lot. But then again, she did feel something before the C-47 took off for Normandy. And she liked Blithe, he was her friend and her friends had always been there for her.

Abbey had to return the favour and try harder.

She placed a quiet hand on Blithe's arm.

He frowned, staring at her hand.

"It's okay". She whispered, "I think you are allowed to be scared".

Abbey's lips twitched into a small smile.

Blithe met her eyes, "you're not".

"No". She mumbled, "but I'm not like you".

He frowned.

Abbey continued, "you are a good person". She said, "and have always been kind".

She let go of his arm.

"Something that…I've always wanted to be".

Blithe shook his head, "no, Abbey". He said, "you already are a good person".

"That's very kind". She mumbled, facing the front.

Abbey's eyes landed on a tree.

"But I could be better, Alby".

…

By 0530 the next morning, 2nd Battalion were in position to attack.

The objective was the T-junction defended by the 6th Parachute Regiment. The last one hundred or so metres leading up to the T-junction was straight road, with a gentle downward slope. And on each side of the road, were shallow ditches. F Company were on the left flank, with Easy going straight down the road and D Company were in reserve.

The orders were to move into Carentan and link up with the 327th coming in from the north.

Winters had each Platoon set up.

1st were on the left side of the road, 2nd on the right with 3rd in reserve.

They were all laying down in the ditches, waiting for the word go.

It was very quiet.

Abbey was behind Toye, with Liebgott behind her.

She was pressed up against the grass, rifle tightly in her hands.

Adrenaline was strong but Abbey didn't feel that scared.

At 0600, things kicked off.

Welsh and six others were the only men from Easy to make it up the road. Because just as they started to get out of the ditch, an MG-42 opened fire right down the road. Everyone was pinned down into the ditches, while bullets flew at them. They couldn't even lift their heads; they'd surely get shot.

It was loud, while it hammered down the road.

Abbey could have dug herself a hole and stayed there.

It felt like there was nothing they could have done, seeing as the gun had them pinned down. Welsh and six others were alone up in the town, probably wondering where everyone else got to. And Abbey might have guessed that Winters did what he did next, because Welsh was his best friend.

Her old Platoon leader was in the middle of the road, yelling.

Out of all the years they had known Winters, no one had ever heard him yell or look so angry. He was waving his arms around, kicking some troopers up the bum and dragging them out from the ditches, trying to get them all moving. It's like he was possessed, and it startled the men and Abbey.

They must have all figured Winters would get killed.

Bullets were pinging against his boots, flying over his head.

And he moved out of the way, like they were flies.

No one wanted to see that man get hurt, so, they moved forward.

Just making it up that road alive was a lot of effort.

Abbey didn't know how she and the others did it.

Welsh had managed to take the MG-42 down and Shifty got another couple of snipers. So, once they reached the town, Easy were ordered to flush out the houses and buildings. The squads broke apart, Welsh and Buck had them all going up in two's or threes.

Inside the town, things were loud and chaotic.

Grenades were going off all over, shots were being fired.

Shrapnel, brick and wood went flying all over the place.

Abbey was paired off with Liebgott and Tipper.

The three of them would run up to a house.

One guy would toss in a grenade through the window, while the other would kick the door in and then they'd enter the house. Once inside, they'd split up and flush the house out from Germans. Abbey took the left, Liebgott went upstairs and Tipper took the right.

She entered a living room, which was empty.

And then pulled open a door, which had one German inside.

For a moment, the two of them stared at each other.

It was tense, Abbey never raised her rifle.

And for almost ten seconds, neither of them did anything.

Abbey took a tiny step back, he held up his rifle and she hit the ground when he pulled the trigger. The bullet just missed her, by the skin of her teeth. And another shot fired out, followed by a loud thump. Abbey looked up and saw Tipper standing there, holding up his rifle. He lowered it and his hand reached out for her.

Taking his hand, Abbey was soon pulled onto her feet.

"Thanks". She whispered.

Giving her a nod, Tipper clapped her shoulder.

Liebgott came running down the stairs and entered the room.

He saw the dead German, then looked at his friends.

"Okay?" Liebgott asked, with a small frown.

"Fine, Joe". Tipper assured him, "let's get to the next house".

Back outside, men were rushing up and down the street and yelling to one another.

Germans fired back, the ones who managed to get out of the houses.

Flushing the Germans out was all done quickly, without thinking much about it. Once that grenade was tossed inside the house, the men would rush inside and kill off any survivors. House after house, the men were rushed off their feet. Abbey, Liebgott and Tipper had been lucky thus far, neither of them had been hurt.

"Mortar!"

Soon, the Germans had them pinned down from another location and started hitting them with mortars and 88's. Everyone was running around and trying to find cover, while the sky above them screamed. When the 88's landed, the whole earth would shake. Abbey fell onto her knees, hands covering her ears. A house, a few rows behind her blew up, Liebgott dove right next to her, with Tipper on her other side. They covered their heads, while bricks and debris were spewed out all around them. Smoke filled the streets; it was impossible to see.

"Medic!"

"Help – medic!"

And men were screaming for the medic.

Abbey's face was scrunched up, as if she was in pain.

But Liebgott grabbed her arm, pulling one hand away from her ear.

"Abbey, come on!"

Her ears were sore, head spinning from the noise alone.

Slowly, she staggered to her feet.

Blinking, Abbey looked around her.

She could see houses and buildings falling apart from the shells. Smoke was all around, men were crying out in pain, missing legs and arms. It was like falling into a nightmare. Abbey didn't think she could move. Her eyes saw one tragedy after another.

Liebgott gave her arm a tug.

"Let's go!"

It felt like the ground had disappeared and she was falling.

But somehow, her legs started to move.

Abbey blinked and faced the front, running after Tipper and Liebgott.

They entered another building.

Like always, she took the left.

Walking to the back of the room, she looked out of the window and saw Tipper fire a shot into a small shed in the bottom of the garden. Abbey frowned a little, wondering what he was doing. But the man turned back around and headed back inside the building. Abbey was about to leave; she was slowly making her way towards the front of the room.

However.

Something fierce crashed through the right-hand side of the building.

It went slamming into the window, pushing the glass back.

A mortar had crashed into their building.

The impact forced Abbey down onto her knees and the ceiling above her started to shake. For a moment, she thought the house was going to collapse on her and she started to quickly crawl forwards and head into the entrance, by the front door. It was smoky but Abbey could make out a figure, staggering towards the front door of the building.

Getting onto her feet, Abbey placed her arm around Tipper's waist.

"Tipper! Abbey!" Liebgott was screaming.

"Lieb!" Abbey yelled back, "over here!"

When they walked out from the building, Liebgott helped and together, they sat Tipper down and got him leaning against a wall. He was badly wounded. His legs were broken, he was cut up from shrapnel and he had a serious head wound. Tipper looked shocked, while he breathed heavily. Liebgott lightly cradled his head into his chest.

"You hang in there, buddy". Liebgott mumbled, "we're 'gonna get you fixed up".

"J-Joe?" Tipper asked, voice slightly shaking.

A string of blood was hanging out from his mouth.

And he took in shuddering breaths.

His hands were shaking a little, despite not complaining of any pain.

"I'm here, buddy. It's alright". Liebgott told him, "medic!"

Abbey swallowed.

She was on her knees, beside Tipper.

Her hand soon grabbed onto his.

Abbey looked over at Liebgott.

He was biting his lip, eyes searching for a medic.

"Medic!" He called out again loudly.

"Hey – what have we got?!"

Lieutenant Welsh soon ran over to them.

"Tip? How's it going, huh?" He mumbled, reaching into his webbing. "We're 'gonna get you better. You won't feel a thing now, Tip".

Morphine was soon inserted into Tipper.

"Liebgott, 'wanna help me get him up?" Welsh asked.

He nodded, "yes, sir".

"I can walk". Tipper weakly argued.

Abbey frowned.

Welsh gave him an easy smile, "take it easy, huh? We'll do all the hard work".

When they left, Abbey sat there alone.

With her back now pressed up against the wall, her eyes remained glued to the blood Tipper had left behind. Her eyes were wide, her hands were shaking ever so slightly, and she felt sick to her stomach. With her heart in her throat, Abbey closed her eyes.

The noise penetrated all around her.

88's, mortars and screaming.

Abbey didn't count back from sixty.

She opened her eyes again and was still met with blood. Swallowing, Abbey slowly got onto her feet, back remaining pressed up against the wall. She shouldered her rifle and looked around, trying to locate Toye, McClung or anyone from her Platoon.

But Abbey couldn't see anything through the smoke.

She could only make out men, who were running back and forth.

Mortars continued to explode.

Machine-gun fire shot out from windows still.

And Abbey felt alone.

"Abbey!"

Jumping, she looked to her side.

Lipton ran straight over to her.

"Hey – clear the streets, come on!"

She gave a tiny nod.

"Follow me!"

They ran from the building and headed for the road, to cross the street.

Abbey was behind Lipton, a few feet behind.

"Off the street!" Lipton continued to yell, "move! Find some cover!"

And then, around two metres in front of him, a mortar went off.

Lipton fell back, landing into Abbey.

Her helmet flew off her head, exposing her skull to a brick wall.


	24. Chapter 23

_The waves crashed against the rocks. _

_ As angry as the sea was, Abbey was still prepared to jump in. _

_ She stood on the other side of the railings, hands gripping onto the metal tightly. _

_ "Abbey – no!" _

_ Her mother screamed, while she sprinted over to her; heals clicking against the road. _

_ Abbey continued to stare at the sea. _

_ The wind picked up, pushing her hair back and causing her eyes to water. _

_ "You should have been watching!" _

_ A man cried, from grief. _

_ He ran over to the railings, looking over the edge. _

_ "You should have been watching!" _

_ Helen grabbed Abbey's arm, "get back, Abbey – don't be silly now!" _

_ Still, the girl continued to stare down at the water. _

_ Her eyes were searching for something – something she might have missed. _

_ She should have been watching. _

_ But then, a hand poked up from the water. _

_ Abbey's eyes widened and her foot stepped forward. _

_ "Abbey!" _

…

Her eyes snapped open.

Abbey wasn't met by a bright light, but it didn't mean her eyes didn't hurt any less.

And her head.

Pulling a face, she placed a hand on her forehead.

Abbey remembered crashing into the wall, she remembered the mortar.

And her stomach churned, when she thought back to Lipton.

Was he okay?

Currently, Abbey was on something soft.

It was a bed. Meaning someone must have carried her to the aid station. Abbey didn't have a bandage around her head, so it couldn't have been anything serious. She was knocked out from the bang and had a bump on the side of her head but that was about it.

Abbey felt okay.

Her hands sunk into the mattress, while she pushed herself up into a sitting position. Abbey reached for her helmet and placed it back onto her head, before grabbing her rifle, which was leaning against the bed. Pulling the blanket back, her legs swung over the edge of the bed and dangled above the floor.

Her boots were still on.

Abbey slid down from the bed, feet now on the ground.

Taking a small step forward, she soon walked away from the bed.

She reached the small strip and the first person she spotted was Winters.

He was sitting on a table, while Roe cleaned up a wound on his lower leg.

"Abbey?" A voice whispered to the side of her.

Abbey's head turned towards the voice.

It was Blithe.

He was sitting on the edge of a bed.

Frowning a little, Abbey moved towards him.

He scooted up, clearing a space for her.

And taking the hint, Abbey sat down next to him.

"Glad you're awake". Blithe said to her lightly, "some bump, huh?"

Abbey's hand went to the side of her head.

Her fingers soon touched a bump.

It made her feel queasy. Abbey lowered her hand quickly. She then turned to face Blithe, who didn't appear to have any cuts, bruises or blood. Frowning a little, she faced the front again.

"Couldn't see a thing".

Her frown deepened.

Blithe let out a shaky sigh, "things went black on me…wasn't hit or nothing".

Abbey looked back at him.

His eyes were filling up with tears. Like back in the woods.

Her heart sank.

Blithe sniffed, "I was…scared, Abbey".

"It's-"

"it's not". He croaked, "it's not okay".

Her mouth closed.

Abbey rubbed her lips together and looked down at her knees.

"Alby". She mumbled, "but you will be okay".

Blithe closed his eyes, a tear rolled down his cheek.

Abbey didn't have to look to know that he was crying quietly.

And her arm went around his waist.

She moved closer to him, pressing up against his side.

Blithe placed his cheek on top of her helmet.

"I'm sorry you are scared". Abbey whispered.

And she truly meant that.

His lip quivered.

Blithe swallowed, "thank you".

They sat there in silence.

Which gave Abbey a few minutes to reflect on a few things.

Her friend was scared. And fear caused him to lose his sight.

And Abbey had another stressful dream about the Albert Docks.

She didn't understand why, because she had always loved the docks. Her whole life, Abbey was always there, looking at the water or watching the ships. She couldn't understand why she had dreams which involved the docks in a traumatic way. Or better yet, why Abbey had only started dreaming about the docks since joining Easy.

"Good to see you up, trooper".

Abbey raised her eyes.

Winters and Roe were standing before them.

Blithe took his head off her helmet.

"How's your head?" The medic asked.

"It's fine". She whispered, "just hurts a little".

Sighing softly, Roe felt that lump again.

He looked at her, "you feel dizzy or sick?"

"No". Abbey mumbled, "should I?"

He smiled a little, "no, it's just a routine question".

"Is Sargent Lipton okay?" She asked.

"He'll be fine". Roe assured her, "few gashes but he'll be alright".

Abbey gave him a tiny nod, "that's good".

"Are you fit enough to join your Platoon?" Winters asked her.

"Yes, sir".

Abbey released her hold on Blithe and jumped down from the bed.

She grabbed her rifle and slung it over her shoulder.

The Lieutenant smiled, "alright, good. Your squad leader is looking for you".

With a head full of questions both from her dream and Blithe's state of mind, Abbey left the aid station and headed back into town. The aid station was a barn, twenty metres to the rear. The area had now been cleared; Abbey could walk up the road without worry. Ten men from Easy were wounded and would be evacuated back to England for recovery. Some would re-join them but others, like Tipper, would not see war again.

It was hard to believe it was only seven in the morning.

The town had been captured within one hour.

And it felt easy…maybe too easy.

Back in town, Abbey spotted guys from her Platoon.

Toye, Guarnere and Buck were talking by one of the houses.

She made her way over to them first, knowing Toye would be concerned.

And he was more than relieved to see her.

"Head alright?"

Abbey nodded.

Smiling, Toye gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"Good job today, kid. Didn't take us long, huh?"

"One hour". Guarnere pointed out, "shit fighting from the Krauts".

"You think?" Buck asked, "they had us zeroed in".

He shrugged, "we took care of it".

"Well, we expect a counterattack". The Lieutenant told them, "we're heading southwest, towards higher ground".

"When?"

"Not sure – soon, probably".

Toye looked back at Abbey.

"Get all your gear ready". He told her, "we'll be moving out soon".

Abbey gave him another nod, "okay".

Turning away from them, she searched for the rest of her squad.

Soon, Abbey spotted Liebgott, who was sitting alone by some steps.

Gripping the strap from her rifle, Abbey made her way towards him.

When she neared him, he looked up.

A small smile reached his lips, "hey, Abbey".

"Hello". She greeted quietly, standing in front of him.

Liebgott scooted over, she sat down next to him.

Abbey put her rifle to the side of her, it rested against her thigh.

He cleared his throat, "Tips 'gonna be alright".

He was met with silence.

Liebgott rubbed the back of his neck.

"We just won't be seeing him here again".

Abbey glanced at him quickly.

"He was your friend". She whispered, "I'm sorry".

Liebgott sighed heavily, "yeah…it's pretty-"

"shitty". Abbey cut him off softly.

She faced the front again.

He smirked and nodded, "yeah, it's shitty".

…

Behind a hedgerow, Winters had set up a defensive position.

And directly in front of them, across a field, were the Germans, who were behind another hedgerow. The plan was to attack at 0530, if nothing had happened before then. But for the moment, it was dark, raining and quiet from their end. Across the way, the Germans were singing and getting drunk.

Abbey sat alone for the time being.

Toye was running back and forth, gathering information about the attack for the first light. Him and Guarnere were both gathering up as much information as they could. With a booklet filled with grids, which gave them distance information, where every Company is set out, where their mortars and machine-guns were and what ranges they wanted their men to fire at. They even went up to HQ, who had the heavy artillery and mortars for support. Guarnere and Toye needed to know everything they could for the attack in the morning.

And though Abbey wasn't a Sargent, she sure learnt a lot about the role that night.

While sitting alone, something happened at around half past midnight.

All was quiet, when suddenly, the Germans started shooting at them with their machine pistols. It scared the hell out of everyone, because it was so unexpected. The Germans were yelling, shooting and were obviously drunk. They were standing in the field, just firing away at them.

Easy never fired back.

And Winters might have feared a night attack, but the drunken patrol left just as quickly. Abbey had been sitting stiffly in her foxhole the entire time, trying to work out why they did that. No one got hurt, their aiming was terrible from being so drunk. But still, it was a close call.

Toye got back into the foxhole.

"What the fuck was that all about?" He mumbled.

Abbey shook her head.

She had no idea and was just as confused.

Toye took out a spare ration pack.

"Here – picked this up for you". He said, "Winters is handing them out".

Abbey took the back.

"And this". Toye added, giving her a fresh canteen.

She dropped the ration pack and started downing the water instead.

He raised an eyebrow, "thirsty?"

Abbey stopped drinking and wiped the water away from her mouth.

"Yes". She whispered. "Very thirsty".

Toye leaned back against the mud and opened his ration pack.

Abbey put her canteen down.

"Those Krauts sure can't sing". He commented.

Her lips twitched, "you are better".

"I know".

Toye looked over at her, with a grin.

"I'm the best, Abbey".

She gave her head a little shake and stared at her knees.

Still grinning, Toye brought out some canned goods.

Mystery meat, mostly.

Whatever it was, it was food and he'd eat it.

Opening the can, he gave his spoon a quick clean, before digging in.

Toye chewed his food slowly.

"I like your parents". He said.

Which was very random.

Abbey frowned and looked up at him.

Toye shrugged, "never mentioned it, thought I would".

She bobbed her head.

"Yes. I like them too".

Toye smirked, "well, that's good".

Abbey opened up her ration pack and found a packet of crackers.

She figured that's about all she could stomach at the moment.

A few dry and salty crackers.

"Stewarts something, huh?" Toye continued, "happy kid".

Abbey bit into the cracker.

"How come you never mention him?"

She swallowed the cracker in her mouth.

"I don't know". Abbey mumbled, "never thought about him".

Toye sighed, head jerking to the side.

"Well…you 'wanna tell me about your family now?"

She frowned again, "why?"

"I just 'wanna know". He said, "you know about me".

Abbey set her crackers down onto her knee.

She rubbed her lips together, trying to work out what to say.

"I didn't start talking properly until I was five".

Toye looked down at her.

"The doctors figured I was slow". Abbey mumbled, "which is correct. Though, my mum disagrees. I have always been a quiet person. Especially when I reached school. But I had a very bad and unpredictable temper, all the same. When things went wrong, I would scream".

Toye nodded.

"We've seen that". He commented, "you with getting your stuff dirty".

"My parents would often talk, as if I wasn't listening. They were concerned before my fifth birthday. Apparently, my personality shifted". Abbey shook her head, "I can't quite work out why".

"Weird, huh?" He said, "kids change, Abbey".

Her eyes stared off towards nothing.

"Yes. They do". Abbey whispered.

…

A few hours later, Abbey woke up to a strange sound.

It was moans.

Frowning, she sat up and grabbed her rifle.

Firstly, thinking the Germans were back at it again but then she saw Roe running past her.

Shouldering her rifle, Abbey got out from the foxhole.

She was meaning to follow the sound and it worried her, the moans sounded painfilled. But while Abbey was making her way towards 1st Platoon, she ended up spotting Blithe, who was walking a few feet in front of her.

Abbey was about to announce herself, but someone beat her to it.

"Flash!"

"Thunder – thunder!" Came Blithe's panicked reply.

She slipped behind a tree, watching them carefully.

It was Lieutenant Speirs.

"Where're you going, Private?" Speirs asked.

"To check out the noise, sir".

"I just came from there, everything's under control".

"Sir…".

Speirs and Blithe started to head back.

Biting down on her lip, Abbey started to follow them.

"Got some nervous Privates in your Company". Speirs commented.

"We do, sir". Blithe agreed quietly, "yeah – I can vouch for that".

Abbey carefully took cover behind the trees, while she continued to follow after them.

She had no idea why; Abbey was just curious.

"They just don't see how simple it is".

"How simple what is, sir?"

Speirs sighed, "just do what you have to do".

Blithe was back inside his foxhole, Martin's eyes were closed.

"Like what you did on D-Day, sir?"

And the Sargent's eye opened.

Speirs was about to walk away, when Blithe spoke up again.

"Lieutenant…".

He stopped walking and turned back around again.

"Sir". Blithe continued quietly, "when I landed on D-Day I found myself in a ditch, all by myself. I fell asleep. I think it was the air-sickness pills they gave us".

Abbey frowned.

This sounded very familiar.

"When I woke up". He went on quietly, "I didn't really try to find my until…to fight".

Abbey licked her bottom lip and peaked from behind the tree.

She could see Blithe once again.

"I just – I just kind of stayed put".

Speirs was still staring at him.

"What's your name, trooper?"

"I'm Blithe, sir. Albert Blithe".

"You know why you hid in that ditch, Blithe?"

His eyes filled with tears, "I was scared". Blithe croaked.

"We're all scared". Speirs said quietly, "you hid in that ditch because you think there's still hope. But, Blithe, the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead".

Abbey blinked.

_What? _

She frowned. Why was he telling him that?

Speirs continued, "and the sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier's supposed to function. Without mercy. Without compassion. Without remorse. All war depends on it".

Abbey looked back at Blithe.

She saw a tear roll down his cheek.

Biting down on her lip, her foot took a step back and snapped on a twig.

Speirs sharply turned around.

Blithe looked too emotionally conflicted to notice.

Clearing his throat, the Lieutenant walked away from the foxhole.

Abbey stepped out from behind the tree.

"Private". Speirs greeted lowly, "what are you doing behind a tree?"

She wasn't scared of him.

Abbey got the impression that Speirs wasn't one to beat around the bush.

And perhaps he didn't mean to make Blithe feel bad.

"Well?" He asked, eyebrow raised.

Biting her lower lip, Abbey shook her head.

"To check out the noise, sir". She mumbled.

"Right". He murmured, "I'll walk you back, come on".

Abbey looked back towards the foxhole.

Blithe was sitting down, Martin was awake.

Biting her lip, Abbey faced the front again.

They walked in silence for a few moments. The only sound were their boots, which walked over twigs, stones and roots. The men were quiet, each sitting in their holes and hoping to get some rest before they started an attack in a few hours.

"Are you another nervous Private?"

Speirs broke the silence.

Abbey was slightly taken a-back by the question.

"No, sir". She mumbled.

He gave a sharp nod, "good".

"What was the noise, sir?"

Abbey figured if he could be blunt, then so could she.

"One of your Sargent's got stabbed by their own men".

Her eyes widened a little.

She looked up at him.

Speirs gave his head a shake, "he's fine".

Abbey sighed a little, in relief.

She faced the front again, "that is good news".

"Yup".

And then, Abbey asked.

"What did Alby mean?"

Speirs frowned a little, "what?"

Abbey rubbed her lips together.

"D-Day". She whispered, "what did you do, sir?"

He huffed, "why the hell are you asking me?"

Abbey's eyebrows twitched.

"The question he asked was about you, sir".

"Fair point". Speirs said, "why don't you ask a buddy, huh? They're bound to know".

"No. I won't ask". Abbey mumbled, "seems like a lot of trouble, sir".

His lips twitched.

"Does it?"

She nodded. "Yes, sir. You do not want to share".

Speirs looked at her.

Abbey was still facing the front.

"What's that accent?"

"Liverpool". She said, "I'm from Madryn street. We live in a two up, and two down house".

He nodded slowly, "alright…".

"Yes. It's fine, sir".

Speirs smiled a little again.

His eyes moved away from her and faced the front.

They reached the foxhole in a few minutes.

Toye was sleeping.

Abbey watched her sleeping friend for a few seconds.

She then carefully climbed inside and set her rifle down.

"Thank you, sir".

Speirs gave a tight nod.

Abbey faced him.

"For my friend, too". She mumbled, "he is going to be okay".

He frowned a little, "back on D-Day?"

Abbey nodded.

Speirs sighed, "right – yeah, fine".

Her lips twitched, "okay, sir".

Abbey realised that Speirs was just as nutty as she was.


	25. Chapter 24

"Mortar!"

It seemed the Germans wanted to attack earlier than they thought.

Just as Winters was about to move everyone out for an attack, the Germans started to hammer them with mortars. As soon as someone called out, they all dove for cover. Abbey was inside the foxhole, rifle clutched to her chest, while her helmet fell and covered her eyes.

Mud and dirt shot up from the ground, as well as bits of trees and shrapnel.

And soon, they started to fire back.

Mortars, machine-guns, grenades, rifles – Easy gave them everything they had.

This was hedgerow to hedgerow fighting.

In order to spot a target, they had to climb under the hedgerows.

For Abbey, that was no problem. She slid under the hedge with ease and took cover in a ditch on the other side. From that position, she had a better view. Abbey would look for Germans who were in clear sight. They'd be jumping to their machine-guns or running from cover to cover.

Abbey shot a few down.

And re-took cover shortly after.

"Keep shooting! Keep shooting!"

The NCO's and officers were yelling, while running up and down the line.

Taking in a deep breath, Abbey turned back around and looked through her sight.

When a target was spotted, she'd fire out and take cover again.

And while this was going on, F Company, who were on Easy's left flank, broke and fell back. Which then exposed D Company's right flank, so it had to fall back too. Which meant Easy were alone and isolated. It's right flank up against the track and it's left flank in the air.

Abbey re-loaded her rifle.

She had no idea German tanks started to come out from nowhere, it seemed.

She heard someone exclaim; "where the hell did they come from?!"

But Abbey couldn't guess what he was on about.

It wasn't until Toye yelled,

"Abbey! Get back! Back!"

She turned around, facing the field again.

The tank was rolling across the field, it's machine-gun firing out.

The tiger grumbled and rattled down the grass, sounding like an angry lion.

Turning back around, Abbey grabbed the edge of the ditch and pulled herself up.

The bullets started to hit against the hedge.

Lying on her stomach, she crawled towards the hedge and slid back through underneath, where Toye helped her out when her arms and head appeared from the other side. Back on her feet, Abbey ran down the line, hoping to find a good position.

"The left, Abbey!" Toye yelled after her.

For a moment, it was just madness.

Easy were left to on their own.

And everyone was lobbing what they had at the enemy.

Abbey ran halfway down the line, keeping to the left, like Toye had told her. She jumped over fallen down trees and ducked from the fire heading their way. Abbey didn't know how many tanks were out there but one of them was heading towards their left flank and was trying to break through the hedgerow.

But that wasn't one of Abbey's immediate concerns.

For when she jumped into a foxhole, which she thought was empty, Abbey soon heard something different reach her ears. It was someone screaming – really screaming, frightened for their life. It turned her stomach and her heart swelled with something heavy. She turned towards the noise and saw Blithe.

His hands were over his ears, eyes screwed shut.

And he was screaming something fierce.

It felt like someone had just punched her in the gut.

Because it reminded her of when she was younger and didn't want to go to a party. Abbey fell onto the ground and sat on her knees. Her rifle dropped onto the ground, as did her face, which sunk into a deep sadness.

"No! No!" He screamed.

_ "No! Mum! No!" _

Swallowing, Abbey blinked and reached forward.

Both her hands soon grabbed his shoulders.

She could feel the tremors rattling his body.

Granted, the whole earth was shaking from the 88's and mortars but Blithe was shaking the most. God, he was shaking so bad. Abbey was worried – very worried. She had never seen it happen before; she had only felt it.

She gave his shoulders a firm squeeze.

"I'm here!" Abbey called out to him, "Alby, I'm here!"

Blithe's eyes snapped open.

He looked dazed, scared and lost.

And his eyes soon landed on Abbey's.

Tears running down his face.

Clenching her jaw, she gave him a nod.

"I know, Alby!" She said, "we end this now and it all stops – I promise!"

Blithe was still shaking, Abbey could feel it.

Letting go of a shoulder, she grabbed his rifle.

Abbey placed it onto his chest, "you have to fire this!"

His face crumbled again, "Abbey, I-"

"you can!" She told him, "of course, you can! You have done it before!"

Abbey gave him another nod.

"I will stay with you, until it stops being scary!"

Blithe's lips quivered, another tear rolled down his face.

But he nodded.

Abbey let go of his other shoulder and took hold of her rifle again.

Blithe slowly started to get up.

And she took his hand, pulling them both onto their feet.

At the edge of the foxhole, Abbey and Blithe positioned themselves to fire.

But she watched him first.

Blithe was still shaking.

His face was half crumbing, while he tried to stay focused. And soon, something went on. Blithe closed one eye, looked through the sight and fired. Abbey watched and saw the whole change. She felt her shoulders drop in relief. And, facing the field again, Abbey fired out alongside him.

It was around that time when Welsh and McGrath headed out onto the field, to destroy the tank who was trying to break through their left flank. McGrath had his bazooka at the ready, the tank spotted them, and its cannon aimed for them. With the cannon pointing towards the sky, McGrath fired and shot right into the tanks unarmed belly.

Even when Blithe wasn't scared anymore, Abbey didn't leave.

The pair of them stayed where they were and fired out together.

The fight lasted for almost twelve hours.

At 1630, sixty tanks from the 2nd Armoured, along with fresh infantry from the 29th Division came up to relieve Easy. The tanks poured into those Germans with heavy 50 caliber machine-guns and charged right into the German hedgerows. It was such a relief to see them get to work.

Abbey lowered her rifle, watching the scene.

While Blithe dropped his rifle and lay down in the foxhole.

It didn't take very long for the Shermans and infantry to push those Germans back.

And Easy continued to fire along with them.

They lobbed everything else they had, happy to see this long fight come to an end. And when it did end, Abbey and Blithe both lay down in the foxhole, exhausted from no sleep and a long fight. Neither of them said anything. They had their eyes closed and could have been asleep.

"Hey…hey guys? Are you two okay?"

Abbey opened her eyes.

She saw one of the tank drivers hovering above their foxholes.

Slowly, she sat up and leaned against her elbows.

The driver smile, "looks like you fellas had one heck of a fight".

Blithe had quickly gotten onto his feet, Abbey didn't notice until he was climbing out from the foxhole. Face pulling into a tiny frown, she slowly got to her feet and climbed out after him. Blithe was walking across the field, heading towards a tree on top of a small slope. Abbey followed him, passing many destroyed tanks and dead soldiers, littered across the field and in front of the hedgerows.

Blithe was standing still.

Abbey stood next to him.

He was looking at a dead German soldier. Her frown furthered and she felt confused. But Blithe didn't say anything, he simply reached for the soldier and took out the Edelweiss from his front jacket pocket. Abbey's lips twitched into a tiny smile.

Blithe placed the flower into his own jacket pocket.

…

"Another one?"

"Okay".

Toye handed her the bottle of cognac.

Abbey took another drink.

She hated that stuff, but it took the edge off.

Swallowing with great difficulty, Abbey handed the bottle back to him.

Smirking, Toye put the bottle down and brought out a cigarette.

"Nice that we get a break, huh?"

She nodded.

"We did good, Abbey". Toye went on, "holding the line and shit – we're good".

"We are". She agreed.

Like others, Abbey was proud of everyone.

And now, the 506th were back in Carentan on division reserve.

To celebrate their victory, Toye and Abbey hid out in a house and shared a bottle of cognac between them. It had been a long fight; they were tired and on edge. The brandy helped them.

Toye leaned back against the wall, cigarette between his fingers.

"I was thinking". He said, "I don't remember much about being a kid".

Abbey looked over at him.

"Like – my head sort of goes blank before I was seven, you know?"

Toye took in a drag from his cigarette.

"We was always poor". He mumbled, "always trying to get money. Dad was a hard ass on me. And man, Abbey, sometimes I feel like a fucking failure".

Her eyebrows twitched, "what?" Abbey whispered.

Toye shrugged, "just how I feel".

"It's very wrong". She mumbled, shaking her head. "You are not a failure, Joe".

He reached for the cognac again and took a long sip.

Abbey rubbed her lips together.

She scooted towards him and leaned back against the wall beside him.

"You think you are a failure because you left school". She stated.

Toye gave a tiny nod.

Abbey bit down on her bottom lip, legs drawing up to her chest.

"Look where we are". She mumbled softly, "we are in a town, we had never heard of before. With people watching us, who don't know our names. But to them, we are the ones who are going to clean up the world. One shit storm, at a time. And I don't think they see any one of us as a failure – especially not Joe Toye".

Toye placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Okay, Abbey". He murmured, "I won't say that no more".

"Thank you".

He smiled a little, "no bother".

Leaning forwards, Abbey picked up the bottle and took another drink.

Toye was staring down at his bandaged hand.

He hadn't changed his bandage since Abbey last saw it.

She put the bottle down and followed his stare.

Frowning, Abbey carefully took his hand.

"Let me see it now". She mumbled.

Toye sighed and looked away, "alright – fine".

Abbey started to take off the bandage and was met by an odd smell from his wound. Her nose twitched at the strange stench, but his arm and hand didn't look good; it was clearly infected. Sighing softly, she shook her head.

"This is not good, Joe".

"Shit". Toye hissed, "seriously?"

Abbey gave a little nod.

"Yes. It is infected now". She mumbled, "the shrapnel inside might end up poisoning you".

"Fuck".

Toye sounded pissed off.

Abbey couldn't blame him; she wouldn't want to go off the line either. But she wanted to save her friend and knew she'd need to tell the medic. Abbey hated being the one to get him off the line, Toye really didn't want to leave his squad and friends.

She tossed the bandage away.

Toye glanced at her, "Abbey, watch the guys".

"I will watch them". She promised, "but I will not lead".

Pursing his lips, Toye's head gently thumped against the wall.

"Right…put McClung in charge".

"Okay". Abbey mumbled, "I will get Gene now-"

"nah, wait". Toye said, "let's finish the bottle first".

She complied and handed him the bottle.

They had a few more sips between them before the bottle was finished.

Abbey got the medic after and Roe took one look at his hand and had to evacuate him back to England to treat the wound. She walked with the two of them up to the jeep and Abbey felt a little lost. She didn't want Toye gone either. Not just because he was the best squad leader but because Toye was her friend.

"See you soon, Abbey".

Toye got into the jeep.

"Look after yourself, alright?" He warned her kindly, "don't fuck about".

"Goodbye, Joe".

And the jeep took off, leaving Abbey standing on the road alone.

She didn't know how long she stood there, just staring off into nothing.

But Abbey didn't know what to do next.

There came a noise from behind her.

Footsteps, slowly approaching.

Abbey felt her heart pick up, when it reminded her of Charlie.

Taking in a deep breath, she turned around.

Of course, it wasn't Charlie, that would have been impossible.

It was Buck.

He smiled, "alright, Abbey? Been looking for you".

Soon, the Lieutenant was standing next to her.

"Joe gone?"

"Yes". Abbey whispered.

She could hear a tinge of sadness in her voice.

"Best place for him". Buck commented softly, "you'll see him soon enough".

Abbey looked down at her boots, while her fingers rubbed against each other.

Her head started to hurt a bit. The lump had gone down since, but it hurt from time to time. Abbey figured it was sore now because she was so tired. It had been a long day, after all. The attack started at half five in the morning and lasted for eleven hours, or more.

The Lieutenant placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, you need some sleep".

Abbey couldn't argue with that.

She was ready to drop.

…

Soon, Easy set up a defensive position south of Carentan.

The Company dug in. Neither side was making any infantry assaults south of Carentan, but the incoming and outgoing mail was tremendous. Both sides were receiving reinforcements in artillery and heavy weapons. The Americans from the beach, the Germans from the French interior. Easy were always ready to repel any ground attacks but remained in their foxholes during the day.

Abbey was fairly quiet since Toye left the line.

Not that she was loud before, but she had gone back to being quiet, like when she arrived in Toccoa. Her uniform was starting to bother her; they hadn't showered since England. Every day, they would sweat and couldn't wash it away. Their hair was mattered, they stunk to the high heavens and men were starting to get sick from dysentery and other ailments.

It was making Abbey stressed and on edge.

So, instead of lashing out, she'd keep quiet.

Abbey cleaned her rifle instead or took it apart and put it back together again.

Just anything to keep her head busy.

"Abbey".

Biting her lip, she gave a nod.

Guarnere sighed.

"Hey – look at me".

She stopped cleaning her rifle.

Slowly, her eyes met his.

Guarnere smirked, "better…look, you 'wanna come with me on patrol? Alby's going".

A patrol.

It sounded like the perfect distraction.

Abbey put away her rag and shouldered her rifle.

"Yes". She replied, getting onto her feet.

Guarnere had picked Maxwell and Eddie Joint to go along as well.

Lieutenant Nixon wanted to know the strength of the German infantry opposite Easy's position. The Germans were set by some farmhouses, which were behind a line of hedgerows. Blithe was point man, meaning he was in the front of the small patrol. Abbey was behind him, on his right. Maxwell was in the rear. They crouched down and advanced forwards, along the line of hedgerows.

Blithe spotted a hole in the bottom of the hedgerow.

"Bill?" He whispered, "we should go under".

Guarnere agreed.

Going under was better than over. The hedgerows were ten-feet high.

"Go two go first". He told Abbey and Blithe, "I'll be right behind you".

Just under the hedgerow, was one of the farmhouses.

When Abbey reached the other side, she could see them.

Blithe was moving towards the next source of cover, which happened to be another hedge.

And just as Abbey was getting onto her feet, one single shot ran out.

She crouched down again.

The MG-42 blasted right at them.

Abbey quickly ran across the way and headed for the other hedgerow.

Blithe had fallen to the ground.

Grabbing him from under the arms, Abbey dragged him towards the cover. Once they reached the hedge, she kept her arms locked around him, and pressed his body against the hedge. Bullets zipped passed them, hitting the top of the hedge. It was a good thing the hedgerows were made out of this thick cement, or else, they'd be dead.

Abbey looked down at Blithe and saw that he was bleeding from the back of the neck.

She pressed her hand against the wound, hoping to stop the bleeding.

"Bill!" Abbey yelled, "Bill-"

"don't fucking move!" Guarnere yelled back, "alright?! We're coming to get you, Abbey!"

Her heart was going one thousand miles per hour.

Blithe was squirming in her tight hold.

He was letting out strangled moans of pain.

Abbey rubbed her lips together, trying to figure out what to do.

"Give me some covering fire, Maxwell-"

"I can't see shit, Bill-"

"I don't fucking care!" Guarnere shouted, "Eddie! Come with me!"

Tiny bits of brick and branch started to break from the hedge.

The force of the consistent bullets was strong. And the German never stopped firing at Abbey and Blithe. If it wasn't for this cover, they'd both be dead. She didn't let go of her wounded friend and continued to press her hand against his neck.

Guarnere and Eddie were soon beside them.

He gave Abbey a tight smile, before he and Eddie grabbed Blithe.

"Ready?!"

Abbey took up her rifle and started to give them covering fire.

They crossed the small gap towards the hedge and got Blithe under first.

Once they were under, Abbey ran towards the hedge and followed Eddie through. The Germans fired at them the entire way back to their line, Malarkey, Skip and Penkala started to blast them with their mortar, while the patrol made their way further into the line.

Eddie was yelling and running for a medic.

Abbey got down on her knees next to Blithe.

He had clamed down a little.

His blue eyes were staring at Abbey.

And she was staring back at him.

Then, Abbey's bloodied hand grasped Blithe's.

He swallowed and closed his eyes for a few moments, taking in a few deep breaths. Abbey watched him carefully. Hoping he wasn't about to panic. But Blithe didn't, he remained calm and quiet, just like he was back in training. Her lips turned up into a soft smile. Abbey knew he was going to be fine.

Blithe's eyes opened again.

And with his free hand, he brought out the Edelweiss from his pocket.

Holding it up in front of him for a few moments, Blithe soon placed it into Abbey's pocket. She frowned, shaking her head but he only smiled small in return, with one nod of his head.

Roe soon came rushing towards him.

Abbey let go of Blithe's hand and got onto her feet, giving the medic room.

That was another one of her friends wounded.

Only, Abbey didn't think Blithe would be returning to Easy.

Roe and Guarnere got Blithe onto a stretcher.

"Wait". He whispered.

Abbey raised her head, looking at him.

"You're a good person, Abbey". He said, "give yourself some credit".

Her face dropped.

As did her arms, which fell to her side.

Blithe gave her one more weak smile, before he was carried away.


	26. Chapter 25

Abbey drank another shot of whiskey.

She pulled a face, hissing between her teeth.

And then tapped against the empty glass.

The bartender raised an eyebrow, "you sure?"

Abbey gave him a nod.

"Alright…who's carrying you home?"

She didn't respond.

Sighing, the bartender grabbed the glass and filled it up with whiskey again.

Abbey placed the money on the table and grabbed her drink.

As soon as they got back to Aldbourne, they were given a week's furlough.

On the 13th of July, they were back in the small and quiet village once again.

Most of the men went straight to London.

Others went to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Abbey went back to Liverpool. She had arrived later that day and the first thing she did, was get to the pub for a drink. But one drink turned into six and it was almost ten at night. She had wanted to see her parents again and Stewart, but it was so different coming alone. Toye was still in the hospital, as was Jackson and Nelson. And Liebgott wanted to hit London with Alley and a few others. Abbey wasn't about to stop her friend from having fun.

So, she ventured into Liverpool alone.

"How was it over there?"

The bartender was leaning against the bar.

Abbey stared at him, while she took another sip.

Swallowing the whiskey in her mouth, Abbey placed the glass down.

The bartender cleared his throat and straightened himself back up.

"You don't want to share". He murmured, "fair play, kid".

Abbey really didn't want to share.

But the guy behind her, gave her back a sharp jab.

Raising an eyebrow, she turned around.

He then reached inside her jacket pocket, taking the flower.

"What the fuck's this, like?"

Abbey's eyes hardened.

He laughed, "didn't know you lot wore fucking flowers – bunch of fairies".

"Oi, piss off". The bartender warned him, "leave her alone, eh? She just got back".

Abbey picked up the glass.

But the man continued to laugh.

"Nice flower".

She gave a nod.

"Okay". Abbey mumbled, "give me it back now".

He grinned, "eh? Why? It's a fucking flower".

It wasn't just a flower.

But Abbey didn't want to explain herself to this guy the reason behind that. It wasn't his business and she could not be bothered with explaining anything that happened out in Normandy, to anyone. Especially not this guy.

Abbey got onto her feet.

"Give me it back". She said, "or I will kill you".

He continued to grin, "nah – you won't".

And then, she just snapped.

As if someone had turned on a switch. Abbey went from zero to one hundred. It hadn't happened in a while, not even out in combat. Abbey had remained level-headed for most of the time within combat but coming out of Normandy and back into civilisation, was a different matter altogether.

Abbey shoved him hard.

He fell back onto a table.

The beers on the table fell onto the floor.

And then, Abbey punched him, right on the nose.

"You're a fucking arse!" She screamed, "you fucking and utter arse!"

The guy tried to lift his head but another punch to the face sent it crashing against the table. Abbey didn't think she could stop. She was screaming, eyes wide and continued to punch him. His hand eventually unclenched, and the flower fell to the ground. Abbey's fist remained still in the air, knuckles red and bloodied.

He coughed and turned his head to the side, while blood trickled out of his nose and mouth. Abbey knelt on the ground and picked the Edelweiss up, before placing it neatly into her front pocket. The pub went extremely quiet. She turned back to the bar and drank the rest of her whiskey before leaving.

Abbey walked down the dark and wet street.

It was the same pub she and Toye went to and it was very close to her house.

But Abbey couldn't even look at the front door.

She walked by her house and out of the street.

For two hours, Abbey walked around Liverpool until she got to where she wanted to be – the Albert Docks. It was different at night. The sea was quiet, while little boats bobbed against the small and bumpy waves. And like always, Abbey moved towards the same spot she always stood by when she came to the docks. Only this time, someone else was there.

Abbey was drunk and she didn't care who it was.

The man standing there was looking down, both hands on the railings.

And she stood next to him.

Abbey grabbed the railings as well and looked over the edge.

Below was the deep sea and many pointy rocks.

And away from the rocks, were the fishing boats, which were tied into place.

For some reason, it didn't feel strange standing next to a stranger.

Abbey blamed the booze. If she was sober, she wouldn't have stood next to him. But the man didn't even seem to notice her, not right away. He was in a world of his own, while his eyes searched for answers in dark water. She never said a word to him, Abbey hardly even looked at him.

The man sniffed.

Abbey's eyes widened a little.

He was crying.

"Sorry". He croaked, wiping his eyes.

Still a little shocked, she shook her head.

He cleared his throat, "lost my boy here".

Biting down on her lip, Abbey looked up towards the sky.

"Almost sixteen years ago". He went on softly, "would have been twenty-two".

She frowned and looked down at the sea.

The man sniffed again and let go of the railings.

"…should have been watching".

And Abbey stilled.

It was like her whole body turned to ice.

_ "You should have been watching!" _

That sounded so familiar.

She had heard it in her dreams.

Abbey let go of the railings and looked towards the man.

He was walking away from her, hands buried deep into his pockets.

"Wait". She called to him.

He stopped and turned around.

And their eyes met.

Abbey felt something squeeze her heart. Not only were his eyes filled with torment and pain, but she had seen those eyes before. They were large and possibly green, like Spring grass.

The man didn't recognise her, however.

And she figured, her mind was playing tricks on her.

Abbey cleared her throat, "I'm sorry…about your child".

He stared at her for a few moments, eyes burning with more tears.

And he didn't say anything in return.

Abbey was soon standing alone on the docks.

…

_ It was a windy and rainy day. _

_ But Abbey was still outside. _

_ She had on her red coat and matching red rainboots. _

_ In front of her, someone was running away from her. _

_ Abbey didn't want to be standing alone. _

_ She was on a path, just a few minutes away from the Albert Docks. Behind her was the road, where cars and buses whizzed passed at a quick and unsafe speed. Abbey started to run up the path, while rain and wind stung her cheeks and nose. When she reached the start of the docks, Abbey found that she couldn't move – like her boots were glued to the ground. _

_ She tried to pull her legs up, but it didn't work. _

_ Abbey then pushed herself forward but didn't even fall. _

_ She quickly grew frustrated and let out a groan. _

_ "Don't get mad!" _

_ A boy suddenly appeared in front of her. _

_ With eyes large, and green like Spring grass. _

_ He was smiling, with rosy cheeks. _

_ And his hair was thick, curly and red. _

_ "I can't move". Abbey mumbled. _

_ Her face looked frustrated, it made him giggle. _

_ "You're funny, Abbey!" He said, "stop playing games!" _

_ She shook her head, "I'm not!" Abbey said, "I can't move!" _

_ The wind and rain were getting stronger now. _

_ And Abbey found that she could take a step back, just not forward. _

_ Confused, she looked down at her rainboots and didn't see any issues. _

_ Why couldn't she move forward?_

_ Raising her head again, she noticed the boy wasn't in front of her. _

_ Abbey frowned and squinted her eyes, trying to make him out. _

_ And then, her whole face turned pale and her eyes widened. _

_ "Oh, God…". She whispered. _

_ The boy was standing on the other side of the railings. _

_ The sea below him was angry and wild, from the fierce weather. _

_ He turned around and grinned at her. _

_ "Peter Pan can fly, Abbey!" He said, "and so can we!" _

_ "No!" She screamed, "don't!" _

…

"Excuse me, miss?"

Her eyes snapped opened.

And they stung.

The sun was beating down on her and her head hurt.

Abbey's lips parted; her mouth was dry.

"Miss?"

Placing her hand on her forehead to shield her eyes, she looked to her right.

It was a police officer.

"Don't have a place to go?"

Letting out a tiny moan, Abbey slowly sat herself.

Which was a mistake, seeing as she got very dizzy.

The officer steadied her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Are you well, miss?"

Rubbing her forehead, Abbey nodded.

"Why are you sleeping outside?"

She stopped rubbing her forehead and looked up.

Sure enough, she was sitting on a bench, close to the docks.

Abbey cleared her throat and shook her head.

The officer sighed, "where do you live?"

"Uh – Aldbourne".

"I'll walk you to the train station".

Abbey got onto her feet, very carefully.

She reached into her pocket, where she usually kept her money but found that her pockets were empty. Abbey pursed her lips. She had been mugged. But that was punishment, for getting so drunk and falling asleep outside on a public bench.

"No money". She mumbled.

The policeman raised an eyebrow.

Abbey could have laughed.

What a shitty situation.

"Can you telephone someone?" He asked her.

The easiest thing to do was to go home and see if her parents could lend her money for the journey home. But Abbey couldn't do that, not after getting drunk last night and not after that dream. She shuddered, when she remembered the dream. Abbey wrapped her arms around herself.

"Your units in Aldbourne?" He asked.

Abbey nodded.

"Right – come back to the station, let's go".

"It's okay".

She took a step away from him.

Abbey didn't fancy getting the police officer phoning her unit.

"I have family here".

The policeman gave her a curious look.

"You never mentioned that". He mumbled, "you sure now?"

"Yes". She said quietly, "I will go back to my parents house".

"Alright, miss".

Abbey gave him a little nod, before she walked away.

No money and no other way of getting back to Aldbourne.

She had no other choice but to go home.

Abbey felt horrible. She had too much to drink. And not only that but the dream left her feeling strange. She knew it was more than a dream, it had to have been. But the only problem was, Abbey couldn't remember that ever happening to her.

One hour into her walk and it started to rain.

Abbey quickened her pace.

By the time she reached her family home, she was soaked.

Abbey knocked on the door and took a step back.

But no one answered.

Rubbing her hands together, she then knocked again and waited.

Nothing.

"They're not in!"

A little startled, Abbey quickly looked towards the voice.

It was a woman.

She was standing outside of her house, with bags of shopping in her hands.

"They left last month!"

Abbey frowned.

_ They left? _

"Abbey, right?!"

The girl nodded slowly.

She nodded towards her front door, "come inside, get out of this rain!"

Abbey had seen this woman before. Maybe a couple of times after school.

So, she decided to take her offer.

Running down the street, Abbey was soon inside a hallway as small as hers. The woman took off her coat and boots, before making her way into the messy kitchen. Abbey followed her, not knowing what else to do. It was a very quiet house. She must have lived alone. The woman started to put her food shopping away into cupboards.

"Cuppa?"

Abbey nodded.

She gave her a quick smile, "sit down, Abbey".

Pulling out a chair, Abbey sat herself down.

And then, she noticed some pictures on the wall.

One of them was this little baby. Who was smiling.

The sound of water hitting a pot pulled Abbey out of her thoughts.

Clasping her hands together, she set them on the table.

The woman turned on the gas stove and put the pot on top of the small flame. After, they were met with silence. Though, she stared at Abbey. And it made her feel uncomfortable. Abbey started to tighten her hold on her hands.

"You don't remember me, do you?"

Abbey swallowed.

Her stomach twisted and churned.

She shook her head.

"Well". The woman whispered, "you were only four".

Abbey frowned again.

"Guess you won't remember what happened". She went on, "probably for the best".

She didn't want to be inside this house.

It didn't give her a good feeling.

Abbey bit the inside of her cheek and stared at the table.

She could see marks on the wood. Stained with blue and red paint.

The woman poured the boiling water into a teapot.

She then walked over to the table and set everything down.

Abbey's eyes moved to the side, watching while the woman poured out the tea.

"I'm Anna". She went on, "Anna Patrick".

When Abbey remained quiet, Anna continued.

"For one year". She said, "I saw you almost every day".

Anna's voice wavered and her hands shook, while she poured the tea.

"And you don't remember". She hissed.

Abbey's jaw tightened.

"You were only four". Anna whispered, placing the teapot down. "And my Harry".

Her voice broke.

"He was only five".

_ "Peter Pan can fly, Abbey. And so can we!" _

Abbey ran a hand down her face.

Her eyes soon found another picture in the room.

It was a little boy, who had thick and curly hair.

Much like the boy from her dreams.

Anna followed her gaze.

"That's Harry". She whispered, with teary eyes. "You would always play-"

"Peter Pan". Abbey cut her off softly.

Anna sniffed, "that's right".

It explained so much.

Why Abbey read Peter Pan over and over again and why that book meant so much to her.

Harry loved that story and he always wanted to be the boy who could fly.

She slowly got onto her feet.

Abbey felt sick.

"He jumped". She whispered, shaking her head. "I couldn't – I tried to find him".

Anna's hand went over her mouth.

"I always saw you at the docks". Anna croaked, "every day you went there, to that same spot".

Abbey swallowed.

Her chest felt tight.

"Why didn't they tell me?" She mumbled.

Anna's face fell, "because it changed you, Abbey". She said, "and they didn't want to give you nightmares for the rest of your life".

"Where's Harry's dad?" Abbey asked, in a very quiet voice.

"Left". Anna replied, wiping her eyes. "He lives with his mum now".

She looked over at the woman.

"Where is my mum and dad and baby brother?"

Anna's face dropped into a frown.

"I don't know, Abbey". She said, "they just left their house".

"But they did not tell me". Abbey mumbled.

Anna sighed sadly, "they left the house last month, pet". She said, "they took everything".

She couldn't believe that.

Not for a second.

Abbey's parents would never move to a new house, they had no money to move.

"Thank you for the tea-"

"you haven't touched it, pet".

Abbey's jaw twitched.

She shook her head, "thank you for the tea".

Anna sighed again, "I'm sorry, Abbey".

"You have not done anything wrong". She mumbled, while walking into the hallway.

Anna walked after her.

"Look, Abbey – what are you going to do?"

Abbey opened the front door; it was still raining.

"I will go back to Aldbourne and live with my friends again".

She took a step outside and looked down the street.

Abbey began walking back to her house.

She stood outside the door and didn't bother knocking. This time, she took a few steps back and charged. Abbey's body slammed against the front door and she fell with it. The hallway was dark and empty. Getting onto her feet, she wiped the dust from her uniform and turned the light switch, but no light came from the bulbs.

Abbey frowned and looked up.

The electricity had been cut.

Maybe Anna was right.

Stepping away from the broken door, Abbey entered the living room.

It was empty.

No pictures on the wall, no radio.

Dads trumpet was gone from the corner. And the couches were covered in white sheets. They really did leave the house. Abbey dropped onto the couch with a heavy sigh.

Where would they have gone?


	27. Chapter 26

Thanks to Anna lending her some money, Abbey managed to get the train into London and the bus back into Aldbourne. She arrived at night-time; it was almost ten. Abbey was shattered after the events in Liverpool. All she wanted now was her bed and a good sleep. She had arrived back with a few more days left from their furlough. Meaning, Abbey could take it easy.

The next morning, Abbey woke up in the billets, which were stables now. Each block inside the stable could house six men. It was more private than the huts they had before. The stables were cosy, warm and comfortable. Behind them, was a large brick manor where the officers slept.

"You're back early".

Liebgott had arrived back early as well.

Three nights was enough for him.

Abbey rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

She yawned softly and sat up, scratching the top of her head.

"Get in last night?" He asked, "must have been quiet, didn't hear you".

Abbey nodded.

Liebgott took out a cigarette, "'wanna talk about it?"

She frowned.

He smirked, "of course, you don't".

Abbey and Liebgott ate breakfast together and took a walk around Aldbourne.

It was very quiet, basically all the men had gone off.

Except Captain Winters, who decided to rest and stay in the village with the Barnes's. Winters had been promoted to Captain very quickly and was now officially Company Commander. The men were happy to have Winters lead them. He did such an amazing job in Normandy. He had always been trusted and respected by everyone.

Like most walks in Aldbourne, the two troopers ended up in the pub.

The Crown was quiet, and the bartender was happy to see two customers.

"Two beers on the house". He told them.

Liebgott gave him a nod, "thank you".

They both sat down in the corner.

Abbey's eyes went towards that painting again.

_ "My grandad painted that". _

Charlie probably lied about the whole thing, just to get her back to his house.

She suppressed a shudder.

And soon, two warm beers were placed in front of them.

Abbey hadn't missed the taste of warm beer.

Liebgott looked ready to gag.

But they drank it anyway and got another when their first pint was finished.

Abbey offered to pay for the next round but then remembered, she had no money. It was a little embarrassing, she looked down at the table. Liebgott didn't seem to mind and paid for their third round of warm beer.

"You blow it all in Liverpool?" He asked her.

She shook her head.

"I got mugged".

Liebgott's eyes widened a little.

He wasn't expecting that answer.

Abbey rubbed her lips together, "I fell asleep outside".

"Fucking Christ". He muttered, "what the hell were you thinking, Abbey?"

"I was not thinking". She mumbled, "that's the problem".

Liebgott sighed.

He stared at her, with a hint of concern.

"What's going on, Abbey?"

Abbey continued to look at the table.

Her fingers rubbed against the wood.

She felt her chest tighten again.

Liebgott's eyes softened and he leaned forwards.

"Abbey?" He asked her quietly.

"My parents and Stewart left the house". Abbey whispered, "I do not know where they are".

"You guys fight or something?"

She shook her head.

"No, I didn't see them". Abbey mumbled, "Anna told me they left".

Liebgott frowned, "that's shit, Abbey".

He then added, more lightly.

"Maybe your letters in the mail. We're getting our letters after our furlough".

Abbey looked up.

Her eyes brightened, ever so slightly.

Of course, she hadn't even thought about that.

All their letters were kept in Aldbourne, while they were out in Normandy.

Liebgott smiled and picked up his beer, "see, it's fine".

That put her mind at ease.

But Abbey was now starting to realise things.

Harry's death.

He jumped because he thought he could fly.

And Abbey remembered him.

Not so clearly but she remembered him jumping.

It couldn't have been easy for a four-year-old to witness. Harry left behind two distraught parents, who would miss him every moment of the day, for the rest of their lives. It was tragic what happened to him and Abbey wished she could remember something good about Harry, other than his death.

"You 'wanna get out of here?"

She was pulled out from her thoughts.

Liebgott was still looking at her.

"You don't look happy, Abbey".

Abbey met his concerned stare.

"You feeling alright?" He asked.

Her eyes shifted away from him.

Abbey didn't feel alright – she didn't know how she felt.

But it wasn't nice.

She quickly got onto her feet, startling Liebgott.

"Hey, wait". He got up too.

Abbey pulled the chair out of the way and headed towards the door, with Liebgott following after her. The sun was beginning to set. It was starting to get late. Time passed very quickly in the Crown. Abbey took a few steps away from the pub and breathed in deeply.

She closed her eyes.

And started counting back in her head.

_ "Sixty…fifty-nine…fifty-eight…fifty-seven…fifty-six-"_

"Abbey".

But Liebgott's soft voice disturbed her counting.

She opened her eyes.

Abbey's bottom lip twitched.

"Yes?" She whispered.

Liebgott wasn't going to get an answer.

Not a straight one from her.

Sighing, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Let's head back to the stables". He mumbled, "come on, we'll play twenty-one".

But he knew something was troubling her.

And as soon as they knew it, the furlough was over.

Promotions were made when they returned.

As well as promotions, the men from the Brecourt manor assault were awarded with bronze stars. Though, Guarnere and Buck were given a silver star and Winters had the Distinguished Service Cross. And they were also given another star to put on their jump wings, which was given after a combat jump. It was a nice surprise for the men, and they wanted more stars.

Diel was promoted to Lieutenant and left Easy.

Lipton took his place as Company 1st Sargent.

Guarnere became Staff Sargent, officially 2nd Platoon Sargent.

And Buck was now leading 2nd Platoon, after being promoted to 1st Lieutenant.

Welsh was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and served as Winters executive officer.

Malarkey took over Guarnere's old position as Sargent for the mortar squad. A lot of the Toccoa men were now NCO's, Sargent's or Corporals. Some weren't, Penkala, Jackson and Nelson remained Private First Class like Abbey. As well as Cobb and a few others. But she didn't mind, Abbey was no leader. She was far too quiet still.

It was back to training six days a week.

The replacements had started to arrive and were sorted out into Platoons and squads. Abbey never had any problems with replacements. Some of the men did, like McClung and Cobb. They didn't want to get close with them, they didn't want to know their names. But that was impossible, Abbey thought, because they now had had two guys in their squad.

Jim Campbell.

And Edward Heffron.

Jim was married with a baby, Heffron was a year older than Abbey.

Toye made Heffron a machine-gunner, with Campbell as his assistant.

In their little block in the stable, Abbey, Liebgott, Nelson, Jackson, Heffron and Campbell shared.

The NCO's had their own house outside of the village.

Abbey had a very nice little reunion with Jackson and Nelson.

And of course, Toye.

They came back after the furlough.

And to celebrate their return, they had a drink at the pub.

Nelson still had a little limp; Jackson's head was doing better and Toye's hand was fine. It was good to see wounded men return to Easy. But it was hard to enjoy having her friends back, when Abbey didn't receive any mail.

She even went down to the mail office, where Vest was.

He was sorting out letters which the men had recently written.

Abbey stood in front of the counter and he shook his head.

"Sorry, Abbey".

It was like a punch in the gut.

Abbey left the office, feeling like a dark cloud was hovering above her.

Nothing from her parents.

Absolutely nothing.

…

Training was different this time around.

It wasn't like last time, the Normandy vets got off lightly. And the replacements were trained very hard, even the new officers. Winters and Boyle had set-up a vigorous training schedule for the new guys. Though, the Normandy vets were still apart for some exercises – mostly field exercises. It gave the squad leaders a chance to train the new guys harder and better.

Sometimes, the Toccoa guys would take a day off.

They'd hide in the stables or house and miss out on a training exercise.

Toye never took a day off, therefor, his squad didn't.

Not unless they were ill but even then, he'd drag them out of bed.

Joe Toye was the most dedicated squad leader in Easy.

And better still, he continued to take care of his guys.

"So, I got her address".

Jackson was telling his story about being in the hospital.

It was the end of another hard day of training.

And like most nights, they stayed up late.

"She's a beauty". He said, ending with a dreamy sigh. "Brown eyes, blonde hair – huge tits".

Heffron grinned, "yeah? You got a picture?"

"I never asked". Jackson mumbled, "probably should have, huh?"

"You 'gonna write to her?" Liebgott asked him.

"You'd bet, Lieb". He said, "I ain't letting that one go – she's a keeper".

"Bet she has a great smile". Campbell added, "is it?"

Jackson nodded.

"The best, Jim".

"Can't be better than my Doris". Heffron commented, "she's a good broad".

"Yeah? You don't talk 'bout her enough, Babe". Campbell said, "why's that?"

He shrugged, "just don't".

Abbey was staring up at the ceiling from the top bunk.

Jackson couldn't stop talking about the British nurse he met at the hospital. Abbey was used to the men talking about girls, it never bothered her in the slightest. She was too busy thinking about her parents. They left and didn't tell her.

"…Abbey?"

She blinked a few times.

"Yes?" Abbey asked.

"You didn't hear me?" Heffron said to her, "I asked if you had a guy back home".

Liebgott was grinning.

"If she does, it's fucking news to me". He commented.

"No". She mumbled, "I do not have a boyfriend".

"She's saving herself for a Prince". Jackson teased harmlessly, "because Abbey deserves that".

Heffron laughed, "fair enough".

"Leave her alone". Nelson mumbled, "Jack, what are you 'gonna write to her?"

Jackson sighed.

"Well, I figure I'll tell her that I'm a tough son of a bitch".

Liebgott snorted, "yeah…".

"And that I'm getting the medal of honour".

Nelson chuckled, "you're so full of shit".

Jackson smiled, "she'll never know".

Abbey sat up.

She climbed down from the top bunk, landing feet first on the ground.

Jackson looked her way, "where you going?"

"Latrines".

Abbey put on her boots and jacket, before leaving the stables.

She didn't head for the latrines, Abbey walked away from their billets and wondered down the road. It was a dry night and warm. The perfect night for a walk. She headed back into the main part of the village. The roads and streets were quiet, it was late. Abbey never thought to check the time before leaving the stables, but it must have been close to eleven.

It was a peaceful walk.

She walked down the cobbled road, trying not to think.

Abbey didn't want to know why her parents left without telling her.

She tried not to care.

_ Everyone leaves. _

That's what she told herself. Because one day, Abbey would be alone. The war would end, she wouldn't be apart of Easy and she'd end up alone. That's how her life was going to end. It was just a matter of time before her family left her. They loved Abbey but she knew they could only take so much. She was destined to die alone.

And all she had was herself to blame for ending up alone.

Abbey didn't know where she was going.

But she ended up outside the thatched roofed house, where the NCO's lived.

Abbey didn't walk up to the door.

She didn't even knock.

It opened and Guarnere appeared.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

He didn't sound mad, just surprised.

Abbey lowered her eyes to the ground and shrugged.

Sighing, the Platoon Sargent took a step to the side.

"Get in, Abbey".

They had a lovely house.

And they kept it very clean.

Guarnere, Lipton and Grant were the only ones still up.

They were sitting in the living room, having a came of cards. The smell of smoke was strong, and Abbey spotted a bottle of whiskey sitting on the table, by the cards, money and cigarettes. Pulling out a chair, she sat down and grabbed the whiskey. The three of them watched, while she twisted off the cap and took a drink.

"Okay, Abbey?" Lipton asked her.

Swallowing the strong liquor in her mouth, Abbey put the bottle down.

"Where is Joe?" She asked lowly.

"Sleeping". Grant replied, "you've got an early rise tomorrow-"

"I don't care". She muttered, eyes hardening, while she stared at the table.

A tensed silence filled the air.

Guarnere briefly looked at the two other Sargent's.

He cleared his throat, "uh – you want another drink?"

Abbey looked at the bottle again and nodded.

"Help yourself". Lipton mumbled.

And she did. Abbey took another drink.

A few more sips.

She could have finished off the rest of the bottle.

It burned her throat and she needed to feel the pain.

Instead of feeling so numb.

Abbey put the bottle back down again.

She rubbed her lips together and placed her hands on the table.

"You 'wanna play?" Grant asked, "it's poker".

"No". Abbey mumbled.

Lipton frowned, "this a social visit?"

"No".

Abbey sighed quietly.

"It was an accidental visit".

Guarnere nodded slowly, "alright…that makes sense".

He didn't sound very convinced.

Biting her bottom lip, Abbey grabbed the bottle again.

Grant sighed and raised his eyebrows to the other two Sargent's.

Guarnere got up, "fuck it – let's wake up Joe".

"Good idea". Lipton said, "sure he'll be thrilled to see Abbey".

Abbey wasn't sure if he was serious or not.

But she didn't care.

Guarnere headed up the stairs to get her squad leader, while she remained seated, drinking more whiskey and enjoying the bitter and burning taste. Lipton and Grant didn't know what to say to her, she was drinking and dwelling in something. But it wasn't always easy talking to Abbey, it never had been. Luckily for them, Toye came racing down the stairs after Guarnere woke him up. His hair was messy, head still not fully awake but he was alert enough to run.

He spotted Abbey drinking the whiskey.

And checked his watched, "put down that bottle".

Abbey swallowed what was in her mouth.

She put the bottle down.

Toye nodded, "good".

He pulled out the chair next to her and sat down.

The other three Sargent's stayed put.

Toye frowned a little and stared at her.

He could have sat and worked out what was going on. She was drinking because she felt that would help with whatever she was dealing with. And Toye didn't think it was an accident that Abbey had ended up here.

"You 'wanna tell me?" He asked quietly.

Abbey's eyes darted across the room.

They ended up staring off towards the fireplace.

"I don't know why my parents left without telling me".

Something tugged on Toye's heart.

"And I don't want to care". Abbey whispered.

He reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Why did they leave?" She questioned quietly.

But the question wasn't for anyone.

Toye shook his head, "I can't answer that, Abbey".

The trip back to Liverpool was a terrible idea.

She was got into a fight, she was mugged, her parents left and then there was Harry.

Abbey was penniless.

And she didn't feel good.


	28. Chapter 27

"Gonna take a leak".

The third floor in the Regent Palace was quiet.

Bottles of whiskey, beer and the likes were on the table and everyone helped themselves. Malarkey, Grant, Toye, Abbey, Skip and Penkala had their own little room. It was good to get into London for a night out. Weekend passes into London was the highlight of training. Booze was cheap for the men of Easy. Not only were they well paid but most of the time, it was on the house.

"Another one, Abbey?" Grant asked.

She nodded.

"Thanks".

He smiled and poured out another glass of whiskey for her.

Toye had left for the bathroom.

So far, it was a good night.

No one was chatting up girls, they just wanted a quiet drink.

Toye wanted to get Abbey out of Aldbourne, after the night she ended up in the NCO's house. And Malarkey had the perfect place to take her, the Regent Palace. It was always a good place to go for a drink and the floor they were on, was quiet. They had a radio on, music was playing in the background. The atmosphere was almost perfect.

"I bet he found a girl".

"Yeah, probably".

Abbey tuned into Grant and Malarkey's conversation.

Toye hadn't returned from the bathrooms.

And ten minutes had passed.

Abbey downed the rest of her whiskey.

She got up, "I will go and find him".

Skip smirked, "in the men's bathroom?"

Abbey nodded.

"Yes".

Penkala grinned, "you're crazy, Abbey".

Walking out of the room, she headed down the corridor.

Many of pictures hung on the wall, mainly football ones.

The carpet was red, with golden dotted patterns.

And the walls were cream.

Abbey had to admire some of the pictures.

Her dad loved football.

She didn't, not really.

While walking towards the men's bathroom, Abbey passed an open window. A gust of wind blew the curtains forward. She shuddered at the tiny breeze and moved towards the window. She couldn't remember that window being open before. Abbey found it a curious sight. Grabbing the top, Abbey was about to pull it down, when she spotted a figure on the roof.

She poked her head out of the window, half of her body outside.

Abbey squinted her eyes in the darkness.

The figure was very tall, and it staggered on the atrium. It was made out of glass, fortified with chicken wire. And it had to have been strong because this figure was very tall. For the first few seconds, Abbey thought it could have been someone checking up on things. As silly as that sounded, she thought a worker was taking a look at the roof. But then her mind wondered back to Toye.

He had been gone for fifteen minutes now.

And he might not have even went to the bathroom to begin with.

Abbey's eyes widened.

That had to have been him.

"Joe!" She called out.

And the figure stopped.

He froze on the spot.

Abbey rubbed her lips together.

Why was he on the roof?

"Joe?! What are you doing?!"

Toye didn't respond.

He didn't even turn to face her.

Shaking her head, Abbey pulled herself up and climbed out of the window. Jumping down, she landed on the roof and slowly made her way over to him. It was high up, they were on the third floor and below them was the street, made of pure concrete. If they fell, that would be that. But Abbey couldn't leave Toye on his own.

While walking towards him, Abbey thought he might have been drunk.

Or maybe it was something more drastic.

"Joe?"

She was standing a few feet behind him now.

Scared to go any closer.

Toye's back was straight, his whole body was stiff.

The wind picked up again.

It caused Abbey to sway a little.

But she kept her balance.

Frowning, she looked over the side and felt a little dizzy.

They had jumped higher, but they didn't have a parachute this time.

Abbey looked back towards Toye.

"What's this about, Joe?" She asked.

He still didn't respond.

Abbey's jaw clenched.

She took a careful step forward.

"Tell me". Abbey mumbled, "please".

Toye exhaled shakily. Like he had been holding his breath.

"I'm a fucking failure". His voice was low.

Abbey stood next to him and Toye didn't move.

"I could have been a football star…could have been anything".

She looked up at him.

Toye looked ready to cry. And it hurt to see him like that.

"Stop it". Abbey whispered, "please…you're not. I would never lie to you".

Swallowing, he looked up.

His eyes were shinning with unleashed tears.

"I'll never be like you guys". Toye went on, voice cracking.

"No two people are the same". Abbey said quietly, "it would be very boring, if we were to all be similar. People like you, are the people who do the best for the world".

He sniffed and shook his head.

"If this war didn't happen – I'd be a coal miner still".

She frowned.

"No". Abbey mumbled, "no…you would have done something you wanted to do. You are smart. And you treat others kindly and with respect. Because you see potential in everyone, but you do not see it in yourself. When the truth is, you are full of so much more".

Toye rubbed his eyes.

"I wasn't your fault, Joe". She whispered, "your dad made you drop out of high school. How is that your fault?"

He sniffed again and cleared his throat.

Abbey took his hand.

Blinking, Toye looked at her.

"You can never change things that happened in the past. But you can change how those events made you feel". Abbey mumbled softly, "you shouldn't be on this roof. Things get better".

"Did they for you?" He asked her.

Abbey looked away from him.

Toye frowned.

"Did they?" He asked her again.

"They did when I arrived in Toccoa". She whispered.

Toye's eyes softened.

"When you became my friend and squad leader". Abbey said, "I felt like I belonged to something much larger and better than anything I'll ever know".

He squeezed her hand.

"Sorry, Abbey".

She tilted her head to the side.

Eyes glazed over in thought.

Sighing quietly, she let go of his hand and stood in front of him.

Toye raised an eyebrow in question, wondering what she was going to do next.

Abbey's lips twitched, before her arms went around his waist and her face pressed against his chest. And he was standing there, stunned for a few moments. Until his arms went around her, and they hugged each other tightly. Toye smiled a little, nose going into her hair. She closed her eyes and sunk into his hold.

For five minutes, they held each other in silence.

Not even the wind moved them.

And together, they broke the hug.

Abbey looked up at him.

"I think we should go back inside now".

Looking back at her, Toye nodded.

She took his hand and lead him back to the window.

Abbey never brought it up with the others.

Toye was going to be okay.

She just had to believe that.

…

"Go back? He thought. No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go! So, he got up, trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall, and his heart all of a patter and a pitter".

Abbey looked away from the book and towards the bed.

Blithe was smiling small.

"You've been here for hours". He commented, voice croaky and hoarse.

She looked over at the clock on the wall, noticing the time.

"I think it's okay". Abbey mumbled. "I don't think they will miss me too much".

"How'd you get a pass?" Blithe wondered quietly, "I thought you had a cancelled jump?"

"We did". She said, "and we were given a weekend pass".

He shook his head, "Abbey…why'd you come here, huh? You should have gone to London".

Abbey closed her book.

"No". She said, "I drink too much".

Blithe snorted softly, "oh?"

Abbey sighed softly.

"Yes. It's not very good for me".

He frowned a little, "what's going on?"

Biting her bottom lip, Abbey shook her head.

"Nothing, Alby". She mumbled, "I suppose…I did not like seeing you get wounded".

"I'm 'gonna be alright, Abbey". Blithe assured her softly, "I'm getting out of here soon, heading back to the States".

"And your parents know of your return?"

He nodded, "yeah, they know".

Abbey leaned back against the seat.

"I suppose you want to know what has been going on?"

Blithe shrugged, "anything interesting?"

"Dukeman has been promoted to Corporal".

His eyes brightened, "yeah?"

Abbey nodded, "yes…Bill is now our Platoon Sargent-"

"will you tell him I'm sorry?"

Frowning, she looked at him.

Blithe sighed, "I shouldn't have rushed through that hedgerow".

Abbey shook her head, "no, that wasn't your fault".

He looked up at the ceiling.

Abbey continued to tell him of everyone's promotions and stars.

She had arrived at the hospital at ten that morning, it was now five and Abbey was in no great rush to get back to Aldbourne. She had been wanting to see Blithe for a while now but never had the time to do so. Luckily, Abbey saw him just one week before he was being shipped back to the States.

"Can you do me a favour?" Blithe asked her quietly.

"Yes, I can". Abbey confirmed.

His lips twitched, into a sad sort of smile.

"Can you thank Winters for me?" He asked, "for what he did at the aid station?"

Abbey didn't know what he was talking about.

But agreed to do that for him.

"Yes. I will thank him for you, Alby".

Abbey reached over and took his hand.

She smiled small at him, "anything else?"

Blithe smirked, "yeah…keep Bud out of trouble, huh? I'm not there to keep him in line".

She nodded, "well, that might be harder".

He chuckled softly, "yeah, try your best. That man's a pistol".

Abbey sighed, "will you write to me?"

Blithe nodded and squeezed her hand, "I will, Abbey".

One of the nurses walked over to them.

She was smiling, but still looked firm.

"I think Private Blithe could use a rest, Private Harrison".

Abbey frowned a little, while she continued to stare at Blithe.

Blithe looked back at her, face turning serious.

"Look after yourself, Abbey, alright? And when you win, come and see me".

"Okay". She whispered.

He gave her one last smile, "see you around, Abbey".

"Goodbye".

It was a quiet and quick journey back into the village.

Abbey was only on the bus for one hour before it dropped her off outside Aldbourne.

She felt better now that she had seen Blithe. He was doing better; Abbey was relieved to see him looking well. Still, it was strange not having Blithe around anymore. She headed into the village; the bus had stopped one mile outside. The sun was out, it wasn't raining and the walk into Aldbourne was peaceful and uplifting.

Abbey had planned on knocking on the Barnes's house for Winters.

But the Captain was walking down the street, on his way home.

Picking up into a run, Abbey soon caught up with him.

The officer raised an eyebrow and turned around, when he heard rushed footsteps coming from behind him. But he then smiled a little, when he saw who it was.

"Private Harrison".

Abbey stopped when she reached him.

And she looked up at him and felt something being pulled from under her feet.

She wasn't in Aldbourne anymore.

Abbey was back in that trench, by the 2nd gun.

_ "Abbey, take Hall! Go to the third gun!" _

It felt like a slap in the face and her chest got tight.

Abbey looked down at her boots and reminded herself of where she was.

Aldbourne. Not Normandy.

Winters cleared his throat softly.

When she looked up, his head was tilted to the side.

"Sorry, sir". She mumbled, "Alby wanted to thank you, for what you did for him at the aid station, sir". She said, "I just saw him at the hospital".

His eyes softened.

"Thank you, Abbey". Winters said to her quietly, "he's doing okay?"

_ "Keep your heads down!" _

Abbey's face turned into a deep frown.

Her lips parted, while her eyes sunk with sadness.

The Captain frowned again.

"Private?" He questioned softly.

Rubbing her lips together, Abbey had to blink a few times.

"Sir". She whispered, "Alby is doing better".

Nodding slowly, Winters continued to look at her.

"That's good, trooper". He said to her kindly.

Abbey's eyes looked back down again, towards her boots.

"Sir". She uttered, in a small voice. "I'm sorry, for-"

"Captain Winters!"

Abbey jumped a little.

She turned her head to the side.

One of their new Lieutenants was running towards them.

"Sir – you're needed up at the house". Peacock told him.

Sighing quietly, Winters gave him a nod.

"Alright, Lieutenant. I'll be right there".

Biting down on her lip, Abbey gave Winters another salute.

"See you later, sir".


	29. Chapter 28

After two cancelled jumps, passes were put on hold.

They continued with training and had drinks down at the pub on the weekends. Things were fine, if not a little tense from time to time. The call for another jump sat heavily in their minds. It's all they could think about. Some nights, Abbey found it hard to sleep. She'd often go for little walks, just to tire herself out. Her squad got used to this. But the first time it happened, they all went out looking for her and found her wondering around the dark village.

Soon, they stopped worrying.

However.

They wished they hadn't.

Abbey couldn't sleep, it was around midnight.

Putting on her boots and jacket, she walked out of the stables.

It was September, the nights were starting to get cooler.

And on top of that, it was raining.

Abbey didn't mind, the rain wasn't at all that heavy. And she knew these walks did her some good. It gave her a chance to quieten her head and get her tired enough to sleep. So, she took her usual walk away from the stables and headed into the main centre of the village.

Like most nights, it was quiet.

The streets were darkened out, with the threat of a bombing still.

And the everyone was tucked up and sleeping soundly.

Which was what Abbey should have been doing – sleeping.

If only. She would have slept if she could have.

But there was no harm in missing a few hours of sleep.

Abbey walked further into the village, while the rain lightly patted onto the cobbled road. She could hear the rain tap against windows and doors and trickle down from the roofs, creating puddles on the ground. Aldbourne was truly a beautiful place, even when it rained.

But as quick as blinking, the mood changed.

It got colder and a horrible feeling pooled in the pit of her stomach.

"Abbey".

She stood still.

A tiny shiver rolled down her spine.

"You came back".

Slowly, she turned around.

It could have been in her head.

But this was real.

Charlie smiled.

"I came back too, Abbey". He said, "nothing can keep you away from me".

"Your grandad never painted". Abbey whispered.

Charlie chuckled.

"It's been months, Abbey". He murmured, "did you miss me?"

She shook her head.

"No?" Charlie asked softly, "I find that hard to believe-"

"you hurt me". Abbey mumbled.

"You only hurt the ones you love".

She looked down at her boots.

That felt harder than expected.

Because she thought about her parents leaving her.

Charlie closed the distance between them.

"You seem sad, Abbey". He whispered, "maybe I can help you".

He reached out for her arm; Abbey took a step back.

Smiling still, Charlie reached for her again.

"Don't be difficult, Abbey". He chided lightly, "I won't hurt you again".

Abbey looked up, meeting his eyes.

"I hate you". She whispered, "leave me alone".

Charlie continued to smile.

"I don't believe you".

His fingers lightly touched the side of her jaw.

Abbey felt sick.

She pulled a face.

Charlie's fingers then moved down, lightly touching her neck.

Jaw clenching, Abbey grabbed his wrist tightly.

"You are just a man". She mumbled, "and you don't scare me".

"I'm your man-"

"stop lying to yourself". Abbey cut him off.

Charlie licked his lips.

"See? Isn't this fun". He whispered, "but Abbey…please, don't grab me".

"You are a shitty person". Abbey shook her head in disbelief. "And I will hurt you, more than you hurt me".

Charlie huffed softly.

"You won't".

"We're going to die alone". She said, "both of us. No one likes you and people leave me. I won't love you and will continue to hate you. You repulse me. But at least for now, I have friends. And you have no one, Charlie".

His face dropped into a serious expression.

The light had vanished from him.

And he was no longer smiling.

Abbey smiled, "see, Charlie? You're already dead inside. You burned out years ago. You moved here because it's isolated, just like you are. No one knows your name. And when you die, no one is going to give a fuck".

His breathing grew harder.

Charlie's teeth clenched together.

"You, bitch!" He yelled.

She nodded.

"Yes". Abbey mumbled, "it's what I am. No one likes me at all that much, Charlie. But at least they know my name".

Letting out another yell, Charlie's forehead crashed against her nose.

Abbey's head fell back, knocking against the wall.

She stumbled and slid down.

Her eyes were blurry and the whole world started to spin.

Charlie was soon in front of her.

His hands went around her neck.

"Let's see what they think when you die, Abbey".

"I hurt you". She choked out, "I hurt you".

Charlie ended up lifting her up and pinned her against the wall, hands still around her neck. His eyes burned deeply into hers. Abbey's legs dangled, feet hovering above the ground. And she didn't even try to fight back. She let Charlie strangle her, until he grew tired of her not fighting for her life. And soon, he let her go and she fell to the ground.

Abbey gasped and rubbed her red and sore neck.

She coughed a few times, trying to catch her next breath.

Charlie watched her.

Hands balled up into fists.

Abbey had hurt him, just like she said she would.

Breathing heavily, she looked up at him.

"Fuck off". Abbey whispered, "before my friend's skin you alive".

Still angry, Charlie kicked her in the stomach.

Doubling over, she curled into a ball on her side.

Abbey placed her hand on the ground, stopping herself from falling over completely. He winded her but only for a few seconds. And soon, Abbey had managed to stagger back onto her feet. She might have been smaller than Charlie, but she stood tall in front of him.

"You don't deserve anyone". He said, "you're as bad as me".

She let out a light and forced chuckle.

"And they used to call me a freak". She mumbled, with a tiny smile.

Charlie frowned, "what?"

Before he could ask another question, Abbey punched him.

She got him under the chin and his head fell back.

Charlie dropped onto the wet and cold ground.

Before she walked off, Abbey kicked him in the groin.

He moaned weakly and gagged.

"Goodbye, Charlie". Abbey mumbled, "may we never meet again".

She made it back into the stables without Charlie pulling her back to him.

Abbey closed the door and walked into their block.

She sat on the edge of Nelson's bed to take off her boots.

The guy let out a little groan and turned around.

Yawning, he looked into the darkness and made out Abbey.

She kicked her boots under the bed and rubbed her nose.

It wasn't bleeding but it hurt.

"Enjoy your-"

Before Nelson could ask, Abbey gasped and jumped up.

Pulling a face, he sat up and stared at her.

Hand hovering over her ear, Abbey turned around and looked at Nelson.

"You okay, Abbey?" He asked her quietly.

"What's going on?" Liebgott mumbled into his pillow.

Giving her head a shake, Abbey climbed up to the top bunk.

Nelson raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing – apparently". He mumbled.

Liebgott sighed and opened his eyes.

Sitting up a little and resting on his arm, he looked over at Abbey.

"Look at me, real quick".

She continued to stare at the ceiling.

Liebgott sighed again.

"Abbey…I ain't doing this". He mumbled, "it's too late – come on, what's going on?"

Slowly, she turned her head and their eyes met.

"I hurt Charlie".

His eyes widened.

And his stomach bubbled with rage.

"Where the fuck is he? Did he fucking hurt you?!"

Abbey shook her head.

"No. I hurt him".

And she faced the ceiling again, eyes closing.

"Finally". Abbey whispered.

…

"As you can see, this is called Operation Market Garden".

It was the 14th of September, and Easy were currently in the HQ tent, being briefed by Winters and Nixon. They were back in Membury, with the gates locked behind them. And this time, it felt different, it felt final.

Winters continued, "in turns of airborne Divisions, this one's even bigger than Normandy. We're dropping deep into occupied Holland. The allied objective is to take this road here, between Eindhoven and Arnhem. So, the two British Armoured divisions can move it up towards Arnhem. Our job is 'gonna be to liberate Eindhoven. Stay there, wait for the tanks".

Nixon took a step forward, "the entire European advance has been put on hold to alcoate resources for this operation. It's Montgomery's personal plan, we'll be under British Command".

No one liked the idea of that.

Some of the men even groaned.

"The good news is". He added lightly, "if this works, these tanks will be over the Rhine and into Germany. That could end the war and get us home by Christmas".

That seemed to lighten the mood a little.

"It'll be a daytime job". Nixon went on, "intelligence doesn't expect much opposition. They think the Krauts in Holland are mostly kids and old men. And we should take them by surprise".

Nixon gave them a little nod.

"In any case, say goodbye to England, I don't think they're 'gonna call this one off".

Like other times, they had sand tables, maps and recon photos to look at.

Toye went over each part of the objective with his squad, making sure they knew exactly where they were dropping, which bridges they were to cross and what to do once they got inside Eindhoven. Once they got it down, it didn't seem as confusing as before. But it was a lot of information to take in, much more than the Normandy objectives.

They spent hours inside that tent.

Toye eventually got his squad out of the tent for supper.

"You can't learn when you're hungry". He told them. "We'll go back to it after".

Guarnere had a lot to say about the British.

"The soldiers are lions – they fight like us. But they're being led by damned donkeys". He said, "the ranks are handed down like royalty. They're not fucking earned. So, who fucking knows what's leading their army".

This was all said over supper.

"On top of it all, it's a huge fucking risk". Guarnere went on, "everything's been put on hold for this damn mission. Lot of money gone into this too".

Buck sighed, "aren't you a pocket of happiness tonight, Gunro".

The man smirked, "sorry, Buck – just how I feel".

After supper, Abbey headed back inside the HQ tent.

The rest of her squad decided to see a movie or drink at the PX tent.

She didn't fancy doing any of those things.

Her mind was racing again, going one thousand miles per hour. She wasn't scared, maybe a little nervous but not scared. And Abbey was shattered from not sleeping the previous night, but her head was too loud and wouldn't let her shut down for eight or so hours.

Sitting down on the table in the quiet tent, Abbey looked over at the large map.

It was very quiet; she was alone inside the tent.

But it was peaceful.

Her mind drifted further back.

Abbey thought about Toccoa.

She remembered meeting Sobel for the first time and Lorraine showing her the way to 2nd Platoon barracks. Abbey was nervous to meet the men and she didn't want to leave the jeep once they reached camp. They didn't like her; Nelson was always on her back and Abbey didn't belong in the army. No one believed in her, she didn't believe in herself.

Skip and Guarnere were the first to stick up for her.

Abbey would never forget that.

And Diel was the first person to ever make her feel proud of herself.

They didn't know much about her past, but they knew so much about the Abbey she had turned into. The men knew each other inside and out. They had spent years training and went through Normandy together. It was a bond like no other.

And Abbey still couldn't believe she was a part of that.

…

On the 17th of September, everyone was getting ready for the jump.

Gear was packed up; harnesses were being strapped on and weapons were given to them. It was much like last time, they had the same gear, minus the gas masks and a reserve chute. Things were still heavy but not having that reserve cute, made things a whole lot easier all the same. Still, Abbey didn't put on the rest of her heavy gear until she helped Toye out with getting everyone else ready.

Replacements, mostly.

Heffron and Campbell seemed fine; if not eager to go.

The two replacements were lying on the ground in the airfield.

Their equipment was heavy, they had the machine-gun and ammo to carry.

The plane next to them had an interesting name.

"Doris". Written in big red letters on the fuselage.

"Christ, we're 'gonna get blown right out of the sky!" Campbell exclaimed.

"Jim, you always got such kind thoughts?" Heffron mumbled. "Fucking Doris…".

Abbey's lips twitched.

Shaking her head, she crouched beside them and checked over their harness.

Heffron watched her, while she gave his harness a tug.

"You see that, Abbey?"

"Doris". She mumbled, "and yes, that is our plane".

Campbell sighed, "Jesus Christ…what a fucking omen".

"Named after my ex". Heffron added, "hopefully, she goes easy on me this time around".

He chuckled, "yeah…".

Of course, Guarnere laughed when he walked over.

"Babe! I picked this fucking plane, just for you!"

Heffron snorted, shaking his head.

While Campbell laughed, "you're a genius, Sarge".

"Why Doris?" Heffron almost moaned, "why not…Pat or something?"

"Cause God wants us all to laugh". Guarnere said, "and have a good fucking trip".

Abbey got back onto her feet.

"You are both okay". She mumbled.

"Toye's looking for you, nut". The Platoon Sargent told her, "he's with Nelly and Jack".

On her way to find her squad leader, Abbey bumped into Lipton and Popeye.

Seeing Popeye again was a relief. If he spent ninety days away from Easy, he would have been placed into another unit, a random one, where they most needed men. But Popeye had gone AWOL, to stop that from happening. And the guy who gave him a lift into Membury was Sobel.

It was good to see Popeye again. He seemed happy to be back.

"Abbey, where's your gear?"

Buck was soon standing in front of her.

Turning her eyes away from Popeye, she looked up at him.

"I was getting the rest ready, sir".

"Right". He mumbled, "alright – get yourself geared up now, alright? We're heading in soon".

"Okay, sir".

It didn't take long to get ready, Heffron helped with putting on her heavy packs.

And when he let go of her, she almost fell back.

Laughing lightly, Heffron grabbed hold of her webbing.

"How the fuck did you do this last time?"

Abbey shook her head.

"With great difficulty". She mumbled, "are you prepared?"

"Yup".

Heffron and Abbey sat down.

Saving their backs from the heavy gear attached to them.

Jackson and Nelson soon joined them.

And then, came the rest of the squad. All geared up and ready to go.

Toye checked on everyone one last time, before he got himself ready. Buck was inside the plane, organising things in there, while the two squads waited patiently. Like last time, the mortar squad joined them.

"Excited to get inside Doris again, Heff?" Skip teased harmlessly.

Jackson snorted, "oh, you'd bet he is".

"He's been dreaming of this moment". Malarkey added with a grin, "huh, Babe?"

Sighing, Heffron glared at the plane.

"Every single day of my life". He muttered, with a large amount of sarcasm.

Before they knew it, they were boarding the plane.

Like last time, they each pushed and helped each other up.

And once sitting down, Buck went around and made sure everyone was as comfortable as possible, like he had done for them before. Toye was push-man for this jump – which was just as the job title made it out to be; if someone refused to jump, Toye had to push them out.

They weren't given air-sickness tablets.

Abbey thought that was a good idea, everyone was sleeping last time.

The plane engines roared to life.

_ Here we go again._


	30. Chapter 29

"You guys should be proud of yourselves. I wish I could do what you do".

The plane's crew chief, who was a guy in his late twenties, was walking up and down the plane, giving the men inside his praises for what they were doing for the world.

"Don't worry boys, I'll be dropping you right where you belong".

It made them feel good about themselves and less tense.

Though, some guys still looked nervous and quiet.

Abbey was fairing much better than their drop into Normandy. It was going to be a quiet drop into Holland. And it was such a beautiful and sunny day as well, the perfect day for a drop. Below them, when they neared their drop zone, Abbey could see soft fields. They were freshly plowed and looked as fluffy as pillows.

None of the planes broke formation and Easy dropped exactly where they were meant to be.

It was the easiest jump Abbey had ever experienced. And it was the best landing.

However, the falling equipment soon raised a problem.

Very quickly, she had to rid her chute and clear the field before a piece of falling equipment crushed her. Abbey picked herself up and ran towards the green smoke grenades, which had been set off by the forest. That was there assembly point. It was a relief that they all made it, and no one was injured during this drop. The difference between this jump and the Normandy one was hugely opposite.

Their first objective was the bridge over the Wilhelmina Canal at Son. Meaning, they'd need to pass through the town of Son. Which didn't seem like a problem, not at all. Abbey didn't expect much from passing through the town, for in Normandy, they hardly saw any French. But Son was very, very different.

In their column, they entered Son.

And it exploded in loud cheers.

The Dutch had come out of their houses and onto the streets.

They were all ecstatic because they were being liberated.

Woman grabbed the men, kissing and hugging them.

The bartenders came out and handed the men cold beers.

They were giving them food, milk and other treats.

It was like walking into a surprise party.

And of course, Abbey hated it.

The officers were having a hard time getting everyone moving, squad leaders lost their guys in among the crowds of happy Dutch people. But Toye never lost Abbey.

She was stuck to his side like glue.

And Toye had a hand on her shoulder, keeping her moving.

Thankfully, the town of Son wasn't huge.

But Abbey feared for Eindhoven, that place was massive.

"Almost there, Abbey!" Toye assured her.

She only just heard his voice above the loud cheers.

Abbey gave a little nod.

Toye squeezed her shoulder and looked up.

"Nelly, Jack – get your asses over here, now!"

She was rubbing her fingertips together and chewed on the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood. Dropping out of a plane didn't frighten her, but this amount of cheering people did. Abbey took in a shuddering breath, before her hands went over her ears.

"Fucking hell". Abbey mumbled under her breath.

Covering her ears didn't lessen the noise.

The cheers were now muffled. But she could still hear them.

And it was starting to hurt her head.

"Soldier! Soldier!"

A happy Dutch woman ran over to them.

"Here – soldier!" She had a jar of olives in her hands.

Toye wrapped his arm around Abbey, pulling her away from the woman.

"Jack! Take the damn olives!"

Jackson walked over to the woman and took the jar.

The woman gave him a rather large kiss on the lips.

Nelson laughed and grabbed Jackson's shoulder, pulling him back.

"You lucky bastard!" He exclaimed, "she's a good-looking 'gal!"

Jackson wiped his mouth.

"Shit – she ain't that nurse from the hospital, Nelly!"

But though the noise bothered her, Abbey's eyes forever wondered.

Everything caught her attention; she didn't know where to look.

Orange flags.

Smiling faces.

Women crying with joy.

Kids laughing and cheering.

People waving from their windows.

It was a lot to take in.

Abbey's heart was in her throat, but she managed to get through that town in one piece. However, the drama didn't end there. Metres away from the bridge, they started getting fire from across the river. Immediately, Toye got his squad into position and they all started to fire back at the Germans. Easy were attacking from the left-hand side, lobbing everything they had.

Mortars, rifles, grenades and machine-gun fire.

And while this exchange of fire was taking place, the Germans blew-up the bridge.

It exploded right in their faces.

Everyone dove for the ground, while wood and shrapnel flew over them.

Once the bridge blew apart, the Germans fell-back.

Abbey and others didn't get injured.

But Heffron had been knocked out. The blast flew him back into a building. Thankfully, he was okay and made it back to his squad, just as Carson had stripped naked to get a few boats he spotted across the river. Others took a practical approach and gathered wood to build their own bridge.

For the whole day, they built a bridge to get across.

And, because it was weak, only a few at a time to could cross.

Easy didn't reach the other side until nightfall.

…

Outposts were set up.

Those not on watch, slept inside barns, haystacks and sheds.

Sink got word that the Armoured division had been held up by 88's and ordered a halt for the night. In the morning, they'd reach Eindhoven and secure the bridges. But for that night, they slept when they could and ate what was given to them by the Dutch in Son.

Toye had planned on putting Nelson on watch first but the guy was almost sleeping while standing, so, Abbey took the first two hours that night. Her outpost was facing a road, sitting on the edge of a tree line and reminding her of the OP back in Normandy. She was alone, wanting her friends to get some sleep before they marched into Eindhoven.

Abbey was leaning forwards, watching what was in front of her closely.

Just like other OP duties, they were long and often boring.

But luckily, they only lasted two hours.

Unfortunately for Abbey, it gave her time to think.

And she hated being left inside her head.

There were no books to distract her, training or battles.

No one around her to talk with.

All that Abbey had left were her own thoughts.

More times than not, she'd think about Harry and her parents. Or Blithe. Abbey was always wondering about Blithe. It was easy to think about Liverpool. Her parents left and something tragic happened to her when she was only four.

_ "Peter Pan can fly, Abbey! And so can we!" _

Running a hand down her face, she gave her head a shake.

But it was like a waking nightmare.

She could see his boyish grin, grass green eyes and thick red hair.

And Harry was standing on that railing, the same spot she always went to after his death. It was almost like somewhere she had to be, like a magnet pulling her towards that place, over and over again. And the same went for reading Peter Pan over again, she had to do it. Her head ordered her to do it and she obeyed – every single time.

"What time tomorrow?"

"0700".

"Okay".

Abbey could hear Winters and Nixon talking quietly a few feet behind her.

Her hands slowly left her face.

"Where you headed?" Nixon asked.

Winters was quiet for a few moments.

"Saw a shed a few yards back".

"Yeah? Well, I'll be in that barn – doing what I do best".

Winters snorted, "right, Nix".

Nixon sighed, "yup…me and my Vat".

Abbey leaned back against the side, rifle up against her leg.

The two officers were quiet.

She thought they might have walked off but soon, Winters got in beside her.

"Any movement, trooper?"

Abbey shook her head.

"Quiet, sir". She whispered.

"Colonel Sink wasn't sure of the defence in Eindhoven". He told her, "it's why we stopped".

She rubbed her lips together and touched the tip of her rifle.

"Old men and kids, sir".

Winters smiled a little.

"We'll see, huh?"

Abbey looked back out onto the road.

Winters followed her gaze and the pair of them watched in silence.

It was nice having someone next to her.

She wasn't thinking about Harry, her parents or Blithe anymore.

But whenever she was with Winters, she thought back to Hall sometimes. Because despite what Liebgott told her, Abbey found it hard not to blame herself. She was meant to get them both to the 3rd gun, Abbey was supposed to be looking out for Hall and she failed. It was hard not to fall into this giant dark pit which tried to suck Abbey underneath. But the problem was, she had no idea how to feel about it all half the time. Everything was so conflicting and confusing inside her head. Everything was just grey and hard to work out.

But what Abbey did know, was she felt a certain amount of guilt and regret.

Taking in a deep breath, she opened her mouth.

"Sir". Abbey whispered.

Winters looked at her.

Her eyebrows formed a tiny frown.

Because she thought that saying sorry might have helped.

Maybe all she needed was forgiveness.

Abbey licked her bottom lip.

"Sir…I'm sorry".

And now, Winters was frowning.

He had no idea why she was apologising.

She exhaled the breath she had been holding.

"About – about Hall, sir". Abbey mumbled, "you told me to take him to the 3rd gun and I failed. It was my fault and I am very sorry, sir".

Winters continued to stare at Abbey.

He couldn't believe she was apologising to him.

And he wondered just how long, she had felt that way.

"You do not have to forgive me, sir". Abbey whispered, "I just needed you to know, how sorry I feel".

Winters felt something pull at his heart.

It was hard to see one of his men feel bad about something or get scared like Blithe had been. The best way to get over a problem, was to work through it. That was what the army had taught them. They always had to keep on going forward and ignore those feelings of guilt, regret and fear. And Winters had to admit, Abbey had done a pretty good job of working through that guilt and regret since what happened to Hall.

Shaking his head, Winters looked back out towards the road.

"It wasn't your fault, Abbey".

Biting down on her lip, she looked at her boots.

Winters continued, "it was no one's fault. It was just one of those things, that no one could prevent. But what we have to remember is this; Hall did a great thing for that mission. We destroyed three guns because of him. He was very brave Abbey and he went out a hero".

Abbey swallowed back a sudden tightness in her throat.

"It's selfish to ask for forgiveness". She whispered, "for my own state of mind. But Hall isn't here for me to apologise, sir".

"No, it's not selfish, Abbey". Winters told her softly, "we ask for God's forgiveness each day. And though we don't hear Him, we know He does forgive us".

Abbey looked up at him.

"You think I should talk with Hall, sir?"

The Captain shrugged.

"Would that make you feel better?"

Her eyebrows twitched.

Abbey looked away from him.

"I might look crazy, sir".

Winters chuckled quietly.

Her lips formed a tiny smile.

He ended the short chuckle with a little sigh.

"Abbey, you asked for my forgiveness and you have it because you didn't do anything wrong. And if that doesn't ease your worries, then you should forgive yourself".

_ Forgive yourself. _

Abbey frowned at her boots.

Was that even possible to do?

Winters gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"Hang tough, trooper".

And she smiled softly again, nodding her head.

"Thank you, sir".


	31. Chapter 30

The next morning, Abbey woke up outside.

She was lying against a haystack, almost buried within it.

On either side of her were Liebgott and Jackson, who were both already up and having a quick bite to eat, before they marched into Eindhoven. Abbey sat up and started to pick strands of hay from her jacket and hair.

"Morning". Jackson greeted happily, "apple?"

"Okay, thank you".

Jackson handed her a red apple.

Abbey took a bite. It was the sweetest thing she had tasted in a while.

Holland gave them another glorious day.

The sun was up, the sky was clear, and the birds were singing. Everyone was in a good mood because the weather had stayed nice for them that morning. It was peaceful, Abbey ate her apple with her friends and relaxed for a good half hour. Nelson came down as well, who had just finished OP duty that morning. Jackson handed him an apple.

"Are these from yesterday?" He asked him.

Jackson nodded, taking another bite.

"They're good, huh?" Liebgott commented.

"Sure are". Nelson complimented, "I like 'um".

For one hour, it was almost like camping with friends.

They woke up, ate a few apples and discussed light and happy topics. Heffron and Campbell came over and joined them. Toye was with Buck, Guarnere and the other Sargent's, discussing Easy's formation into Eindhoven. Abbey almost forgot about Eindhoven. And when she remembered, her stomach twisted with nerves.

It was going to be loud.

And it was going to be very busy.

Abbey just had to remind herself.

But when Toye came over, the nerves got worse.

"We're heading out".

They all got onto their feet and started to gather their gear.

Grabbing her rifle, she then put on her helmet.

Toye gave her a tiny smile.

"Stick by me, huh?"

Abbey nodded.

God, she wasn't leaving his side.

…

Thousands of aggressively happy Dutch people were there to greet them that morning. Much like back in Son, they were kissing, hugging, shaking their hands and giving them plenty of food, drinks and other gifts. Orange flags were everywhere, they knew they were being liberated. And after being under German command for almost five years, the Dutch were overly happy to see everyone. They were friendly, generous and a bunch of friendly people. But there were many of them and they were loud.

Abbey just shut down at one point.

Still by Toye's side, she had her ears covered and kept her head down. Getting through the crowd was a hard task and sticking by their squad leader was next to impossible. Even with his hand on her shoulder, Toye was soon pulled away and Abbey remained walking, not knowing where she was going. She wasn't aware that her squad leader had been dragged to the other side of the street, Abbey was mainly focused on keeping her head down and getting off the road quickly.

Her head lifted, but then someone bumped into her.

Falling onto the ground, Abbey had to quickly save her fall with her hands.

And that's when a new scream reached her ears.

Women were screaming, crying and they sounded terrified.

Breathing heavily still, Abbey turned her head towards the noise.

And what she saw, stunned her.

Because there was no context.

Men were beating and stripping clothes off from women.

They were shaving their hair. And it got so hard, that their heads started to bleed. The people watching this event take place, were cheering and egging the men on, as if they were happy with this outcome. Abbey was highly confused and concerned for these women. She didn't know what else do to, so, she decided to stop it.

Getting onto shaky legs, Abbey tried to straighten herself up.

She moved to the front of the circle and stepped inside.

No one seemed to notice her at first, they were too busy.

Abbey staggered towards one of the men, who was in the middle of shaving a woman's hair off with terrible clippers. Blood was trickling down the girls face and got into her wide and teary eyes. Abbey was still frowning. She grabbed the man's wrist tightly.

He stopped doing what he was doing and looked down at Abbey.

She looked up at him.

"What are you doing?" Abbey mumbled.

The woman let out a breathless sob.

Blinking, Abbey looked towards the woman.

The Dutch man pulled an angry face and pushed Abbey away.

Abbey stumbled back but never fell.

The Dutch were still cheering, and the noise was deafening.

Closing her eyes for a few moments, Abbey soon opened them.

And she walked back over to that man again.

This time, she grabbed his wrist a little too tightly.

The man let out a tiny gasp, clippers falling from his hands.

Still with an impassive look, Abbey asked;

"what the fuck are you doing?"

The man, looking confused, answered in broken English.

"They are…traitors".

Abbey looked back at the woman.

She was crying still and hugging her bruised and bloodied body.

"She doesn't look like a traitor". She mumbled, "how do you know?"

"Abbey!" Came an alarmed call for her name.

Abbey didn't respond.

She was still staring at this woman.

"Abbey – with me, now!"

Her grip loosened on the man's wrist, until her hand fell to the side.

She couldn't understand why they were hurting these women. It didn't make any sense to her because she had no idea what was going on. Someone was still yelling for her, but Abbey couldn't seem to hear him. Everything got so loud, it intensified dramatically. Head hurting now, Abbey's eyes scrunched up tightly and her hands went over her ears. She was feeling claustrophobic; it was getting harder to breathe. Abbey stumbled again. But not because someone had pushed her, but because her legs felt too weak and shaky to carry her.

And her stomach turned with this impending doom, sort of feeling.

A hand soon went on her shoulder.

Abbey's shoulders jerked and she ended up vomiting.

"Sorry". She croaked.

"It's alright, it's fine". The voice assured her.

Abbey breathed in threw her nose, willing the horrible feeling to subside.

He squeezed her shoulder.

"Follow me".

Blinking, Abbey looked it.

It was Lipton.

Thank God for their 1st Sargent.

That was the second time he had found her alone in a strange city.

First, it was Carentan after Tipper got hurt.

And now, it was Eindhoven.

She wiped her mouth with her sleeve and was led away from the circle. Abbey didn't know how her feet managed to carry her towards the other side of the road, but she was happy to state that it wasn't as busy. The officers were there, talking with this man from the Dutch Resistance. And soon, she was sitting down on the ground, back pressed up against a wall.

Lipton was crouched in front of her.

His eyes looked worried, while his head tilted to the side.

"Have a drink, huh? I need to find the others".

Abbey gave him a little nod.

She'd be fine now.

When Lipton walked off, Abbey brought out her canteen.

She rinsed her mouth out first before taking a sip of water.

Abbey put her canteen back and rested her hands against her knees, which were brought up towards her chest. The noise was still going on around her but at least she was away from the crowds of people. To her side, the officers were still talking with the Dutch man, but she couldn't hear a word they were saying. Abbey's head leaned back against the brick wall. She closed her eyes again and took more deep breaths.

"Hey, Abbey".

Opening her eyes, they soon were met with Toye.

He was crouched in front of her, hand on her shoulder.

"Been looking for you". He told her, with a tiny smile. "Where'd you run off to?"

Shaking her head, Abbey sighed quietly.

He continued to smile and gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"Don't matter". Toye mumbled, "here now, huh?"

The women screaming out in distress reached her ears again.

Abbey let out a tiny groan.

He frowned, "you hurt?"

"No". She mumbled, "I am not hurt…when do we leave?"

"Soon". Toye assured her, "we're securing the bridges. Just looking for the best route to take".

Abbey gave a small nod in return.

Her eyes wondered past Toye's shoulder.

She could still hear those women.

Her face turned into a frown again and her stomach turned.

Abbey breathed in threw her nose, clenching her teeth together.

"Not long, alright?" Toye told her quietly, "we'll be 'outta here soon".

Shaking her head, her hands soon covered her eyes again.

Abbey closed her eyes, forehead against her knees.

Toye sighed and put his hand on her back.

She started to count back from sixty in her head, hoping that would help. Abbey was having a battle with herself. One side of her wanted to lash out and run. Whereas the other needed her to remain calm and stay put until they were ordered to move out. Her only comfort was Toye and having her ears covered to muffle the distressed screams and loud cheers.

Abbey's boot started to tap against the ground.

"Calm down". Toye murmured, face close to her covered ear. "Come on, it's alright".

She exhaled shakily.

"Fuck". Abbey moaned.

"Yeah, I know". He said, "you don't 'gotta freak out, huh? It's fine, Abbey".

It was strange, really.

Mortars, 88's and a full-blown battle didn't cause her to lash out.

But large crowds and a busy place always rattled her.

Getting briefly separated from Toye didn't help either.

At least Lipton found her.

Slowly, her breathing started to even out.

Her foot no longer tapped against the ground.

But her ears remained covered, head kept down.

It was good enough for Toye, however.

"That's good, Abbey". He said to her, with a tiny smile. "Huh? It's good".

"Joe?" She mumbled.

"Yeah?"

"When do we leave?"

Toye sighed and looked over at the officers.

They were breaking apart and Buck was heading over to them.

"Get everyone up and moving, Joe". The Lieutenant told him, "we're 'gonna start securing these bridges".

It was the best thing Abbey had heard all day.

And soon, they were back on their feet and doing their job.

The bridges across the Dommel River were secured and then, they had to wait until the British tanks arrived. But when the British did arrive in the afternoon, they stopped in the centre of town, set up housekeeping and made tea. The lack of urgency got on everyone's nerves. And by half six that night, the main body of the British Armoured Division started passing through Eindhoven from the south. That completed the mission assigned to the 506th at the start of the operation. And much like the previous night, they dug in and Winters set up outposts.

Guarnere had found a barn for his Platoon.

It was large enough to fit everyone inside.

They grabbed straw and made mattresses to sleep on and they covered themselves up with their blankets and snuggled down to get a few hours of sleep before it was their turn on OP duty. Abbey was off duty that night, her squad offered to do her two hours for her and Toye wanted her to get a full night's sleep. He made sure Abbey had a bite to eat before ordering her to bed.

"Get some rest". Toye told her, "try and sleep for more than two hours, huh?"

Snorting softly, Abbey gave a little nod.

"I will try". She mumbled.

Smiling, Toye lay down next to her.

Men were talking quietly, while they settled down for some much-needed sleep. The barn was dark, except the lights coming from their cigarettes when they inhaled. It was a very peaceful time at night, with little to no noise. A few of the men were still inside Eindhoven, where they continued the party. Toye wanted to keep his guys together that night and have them do OP duties, instead of allowing the Dutch to shower them with more drinks and food.

And for a moment, it was like being back in Toccoa.

Abbey fell asleep to the sounds of the men talking quietly.

…

_ It was a bright and sunny morning. _

_ Abbey was sitting on a hay-bale, outside of the barn. _

_ The sun beat down on her head, her helmet was sitting next to her. _

_ The air smelt like fresh flowers and sweet apples. _

_ Around her, men were lazing around on the grass and beneath trees. _

_ There, they talked, ate and drank beer. _

_ It was the perfect morning. _

_ "Abbey!" _

_ Looking down, she saw Vest running towards her. _

_ "I've got a letter for you!" _

_ Smiling, Abbey jumped down from the hay-bale and took the letter. _

_ "Thank you, Vest". She said brightly. _

_ Vest found her wide grin to be contagious. _

_ "Oh, Abbey. You never stop smiling, huh?" _

_ "I know". She said softly, "have a good day, Vest". _

_ "I will!" Vest beamed back, "we're playing football later – you 'gonna watch?" _

_ "Of course". Abbey responded, "I would never miss a game". _

_ Vest left her to it. _

_ She sat on the warm grass and opened up her letter. _

_ "Dear Abbey, _

_ Our last letter must have gotten lost, bug. As soon as you didn't respond within a month, we had to write and tell you again, hoping this letter will reach you. Anyway, we've moved to a new house! Can you believe it? We now live outside of the city and in the country. Our house is fairly big, but the garden is even bigger. The kids love playing outside, they never come inside, Abbey._

_ We hope you're well, Abbey. _

_ And we can't wait until you come back to us. Won't be long now, you'll be home by Christmas. Are you excited to come home? This year, your mum won't have to lift a finger. We have a lot of help in our new house, as we have too many rooms to clean. So, we hired help and even a chef. Your little brothers and sisters are being home schooled now, a tutor comes around five times a week and he's the top professor from Oxford University. _

_ Looks like my job as a postman finally paid off, bug. _

_ Love you to the moon, _

_ Mum and dad". _

_ Abbey smiled and folded up her letter. _

_ "Good news?" Toye asked her, with a large grin. _

_ She nodded, "yes, my family live in a castle!" _

_ "Brilliant!" He expressed, "hey, listen – there's a boy here to see you". _

_ Abbey pulled a face, though was still smiling. _

_ "Yeah?" She wondered. _

_ Grinning still, Toye took her hand and pulled her up. _

_ "Come with me". _

_ Slowly, a breeze picked up. _

_ Toye had a hold of her hand, while they walked through a forest. _

_ The trees started to creek and the leaves were waving. _

_ It started to get cold. _

_ Abbey looked up; the sky was starting to get darker too. _

_ "Joe". She mumbled. _

_ The smile slowly left her face. _

_ "What is going on?" _

_ Toye laughed, "nothing, Abbey…it's fine". _

_ "No – which boy?" _

_ Panicking now, Abbey tried to release her hand. _

_ But Toye's grip was too tight. _

_ He ended up dragging her deeper into the forest. _

_ And the wind got a lot stronger. _

_ Soon, the sound of waves crashing sounded. _

_ Abbey shook her head, boots digging into the ground. _

_ And there, standing on the railings was Harry. _

_ "No – Joe!" She screamed, "no!" _

_ "Abbey, it's fine-"_

_ "no! I'm not going back!" Abbey screamed, "I'm not going back!" _

_ "Peter can fly, Abbey!" Harry yelled out gleefully, "and so can we!" _

_ And then, he jumped. _

_ She screamed again. _

_ "Joe!"_

…

Abbey's eyes snapped open.

A hand quickly went over her mouth, preventing herself from screaming.

Breathing heavily threw her nose, she swallowed.

Her stomach hurt with nausea.

The barn was dark, meaning it was still night.

She hadn't been asleep that long.

Sitting up, Abbey put on her jacket and carefully got onto her feet. She tiptoed through the barn and opened the large door, soon stepping outside and onto the damp grass. It hadn't been raining, it was just cold and misty. Abbey's boots squished against the mud, while she headed towards a fence, which overlooked an abandoned field.

Leaning against the wood, Abbey tried not to think about her dream.

A lot of things were wrong with that dream.

One being the obvious was her parents living in a castle.

And the other, they were far too happy.

Everyone in her dream was smiling. Men were playing football and the war was going to be over by Christmas. Though a happy dream to begin with, before Harry came, Abbey woke up with a heavy heart. Because that was a dream. For her friends to be happy, her family to be living comfortably and the war to be over for Christmas. Everyone wanted that. Abbey didn't know just how much, until she dreamed of it.

It was a cruel dream.

And Abbey didn't want to go back to sleep.


	32. Chapter 31

"Bring them up, gents!"

"Oh, bugger! She's a loose cannon!"

Abbey yawned and rubbed her eyes.

She was leaning against the barn doors, watching a Platoon of British tanks roll into their line. They had arrived earlier that morning and with those tanks, Easy were to advance forward into Helmond, eight miles east of Eindhoven, to make contact with the enemy.

Heffron, Jackson, Nelson, Campbell and Liebgott were beside her.

No one got a lot of sleep last night.

Abbey only had a couple of hours.

A few feet in front of them, Toye and Guarnere were having a quiet word with Buck and Lipton. Abbey didn't know what they were saying but it looked serious. They never got to find out then and there what they were talking about, because Winters soon called for his Company to;

"move out!"

A few squads got to ride on the top of the tanks, Abbey walked beside them.

It wasn't a long march, just eight miles.

And the scenery was stunning.

They passed gorgeous inns and farmhouses. And fields, which were golden or purple. Holland was a stunning country; Abbey didn't think the war had even touched this place. Looking around, it didn't feel like they were in the middle of a war, anyway. The Dutch were waving them all off as well and continued to give them food and drinks.

One man was insisting that Abbey take a cookie.

She politely declined.

Liebgott sighed and took the cookie.

"Thank you". He gave the Dutch man a smile and placed the cookie in Abbey's pocket. "Save that for later, huh? You might need it".

"I am not-"

But Liebgott gave her this firm look.

Sighing, Abbey faced the front again.

"Yes. I will keep it for later, Lieb".

The march continued in silence for most of the time.

Men on the tanks had a picnic and ate what the Dutch had given them, sharing it out with everyone else. Toye was at the front of his squad, talking quietly with Jackson and Nelson.

It was a nice walk.

Almost reminding Abbey of her dream. Minus the smiles.

Well, from her, anyway.

But things changed when they reached Nuenen.

Just as she passed the signpost, Abbey saw a woman holding her baby.

The woman's hair had been shaved off and she was wearing torn and baggy clothes. The baby was wrapped up in a blanket, which had seen better days and they both looked skinny and worn out. Someone had given the woman her rations and the woman did look grateful.

Liebgott didn't even notice she had stopped walking.

Abbey had stopped in front of this woman and her baby, staring up at them.

The woman stared back at her, eyes filling up with tears.

She gave her baby a soft kiss on his forehead.

Abbey stood up on the balls of her feet, taking a look at the small bundle.

Her lips twitched into a tiny smile.

He had blue eyes – like Stewart.

The baby opened his mouth, letting out a soft yawn.

Abbey reached into her front pocket and brought out the cookie.

She then offered it to the woman, who took it with a smile.

"Abbey!"

Toye was soon running over to her.

"Get back here, now!"

Abbey gave the woman and her baby a tiny wave.

The woman waved back, just as her squad leader grabbed her arm and started pulling her away and back towards the column. Understandably, Toye was slightly pissed off at Abbey for leaving the Company and squad. He shared his thought and the anger vanished quickly. When they made it back to the tanks, Abbey looked over her shoulder.

The woman and baby were walking down the road, away from them.

Abbey wondered where they'd go next.

She wondered if they even had a home to go back to.

…

The march continued without anything to worry about.

Until the tanks started to spread out, causing the men to clear a space on the road. Two ditches were on either side of the road, drainage ditches. Abbey got on the right-hand side with the rest from her Platoon, while Lieutenant Brewer stood in the middle of the road, looking through his binoculars.

He made the perfect target.

Brewer was over six foot tall.

And he looked like an officer.

"Lieutenant!" Bull cried out.

Brewer turned his head; one shot was fired out.

As soon as Brewer hit the ground, a Tiger rolled through the field opposite them, and they started to receive some flak from the tree line. Everyone got off the tanks and they all headed into the one of the ditches. Buck had his Platoon in the ditch on the right-hand side. It was almost like being back at Carentan, but the machine-gun hadn't ripped open down the road like last time. However, it did stop them from moving for a few minutes.

Someone from 1st Platoon got one of the snipers down.

And soon, Buck and Guarnere had everyone moving down the ditch.

Abbey and the rest of the squad followed behind Toye.

They soon moved into the village and stuck to the right.

Toye halted the squad behind a building, they all crouched beside him.

"Abbey". He whispered, "take Liebgott, Jackson, Nelson, Heffron and Jim. Head further right, get some cover – got it?"

She gave a little nod.

"Alright – go!"

The strange part was, it was very quiet.

Abbey couldn't spot one single German or a tank anywhere.

So, getting from one cover to the next was easy enough.

She found a house and got them all taking cover.

Abbey peeked around the corner, which looked out towards the left-hand side of the village. There, she could see Martin and his squad, taking cover by a café. Abbey turned back around and crouched down. She looked forwards and could see Malarkey setting up the mortars a few yards behind them. Easy were scattered around the village, trying to cut the Germans off from all sides. Everyone had good cover and they had the village surrounded.

Or, so they thought.

It all started when Martin and Bull spotted a Tiger, which was well-hidden. Martin took one guy and they ran towards one of the British tanks, which were now rolling into town. But because the Brit couldn't spot the tank, he never fired. The Tiger was hidden behind a building. But it wasn't hidden for long.

It blasted out it's cannon, hitting the tank second to the front.

And the Tiger shot out again, slamming into one of the buildings.

That's when all hell broke loose.

Many of tanks seemed to appear out of nowhere. As well as snipers and infantry. The Germans had ambushed them, right from the start. Easy just didn't see them, they were hiding in houses, buildings and in the fields. Men were running back and forth, firing what they could. All the while bullets and tanks chased after them.

Abbey bit down on her lip, looking back at her friends.

"Babe!" She called out, "Jim – come here!"

They both wondered over to her.

"Set up your gun – aim towards the building on the left-hand side!" She told them, "we're getting some MG-42 fire!"

Heffron and Campbell both nodded.

"When you see us inside, head back to Buck!" She added, "don't wait around!"

With the two machine-gunners setting up, Abbey moved towards Nelson, Liebgott and Jackson. They formed a little circle, just so they could hear each other better.

"While they fire up towards the MG-42, we'll head for the house!" She told them, "grenades first, then we head inside and flush them out!"

"Really?!" Jackson asked, "you 'wanna do that-"

"yes!" Abbey exclaimed, "we need to take him out!"

Liebgott gave her a nod.

"Are you with me?!" She asked them.

Nelson gave her a tiny grin, "right behind you, Abbey!"

Taking the lead, Abbey moved around the corner of the house.

Heffron started to fire, which was her signal to move up.

Running, Abbey's boots pounded against the road, while bullets pinged around her. It was a very quick and hard run across the street and towards that house. But they all made it, no one was wounded. Abbey counted, however, just to make sure.

"Okay, Jack – Nelly!" She called, "two grenades, through that window – Lieb, get in with me!"

Nelson and Jackson moved towards the window.

They unclipped their grenades, tossed them inside and took cover.

After the blast, Liebgott kicked the door open and the pair of them charged inside.

At first, it was just smoke.

And then, faces started to emerge.

Abbey didn't even think, she just shot.

Bullet after bullet.

She didn't know how much she shot out.

But it was over eight because her clip ran out.

Liebgott ran out shortly after, the pair of them took cover to reload.

Abbey was behind a couch, Liebgott behind a dresser.

But the bottom floor was quiet.

Once her clip was in, Abbey slowly looked up from the top of the couch. She couldn't see any movement, but she could see a few dead bodies. Liebgott soon got up and walked into the centre of the room. He looked down at one of the Germans. Abbey joined him and followed his gaze. It was quiet for a few seconds, while the pair of them stared at this German. But eventually, Abbey gave his arm a nudge and nodded towards the door.

"Yeah". He mumbled, "let's head out, Abbey".

It was loud again.

The 88's were relentless, and fire was heavy and intense.

All around them, men were running, cursing and firing.

Shrapnel, bricks and debris flew everywhere.

Buildings were being knocked down; men were going down with it.

And the Germans just kept on coming and coming.

Abbey, Jackson, Nelson and Liebgott continued to fire.

They stayed by the house, peaking from around the corners and took what shots they could. Clips ran out quickly and they reloaded even quicker. But it didn't seem to be putting a dent into anything. There were too many tanks and infantry. Abbey rubbed her lips together and wondered what the hell they were going to do now.

It was like being inside a hornet's nest.

They couldn't stay there, that was for sure.

Abbey turned back for cover and looked at her friends.

The three of them were still shooting out, still hanging on and hoping. But they lost this one. She knew that and was sure they did as well. Abbey moved towards Liebgott and grabbed his arm. He turned back around, taking cover next to her.

"Head back to Buck!" She told him, "I'll let Joe know!"

He shook his head, "I'll go with you!"

Abbey rubbed her lips together.

A bullet hit the top of the house.

Frowning, she looked forwards.

More infantry were coming from the fields.

They were running out of time.

"Lieb, just go!" Abbey argued, "just do this and I will see you back with Buck and the rest!"

"Let me come with you!" He argued back.

She shook her head.

"No!" Abbey said, "no – don't be fucking stupid!"

Liebgott looked angry.

"Me?! You're the one being stupid, Abbey!" He said, "you need someone to cover your ass-"

"and what if you get hit!" Abbey cut him off.

Her face looked down-right serious.

And perhaps, she might have looked a little frightened.

But she wasn't scared for herself.

Abbey bit down on her lip, shaking her head.

"Lieb!" She said, "just let me to something decent for once, okay?!"

_ Let me try and save your life for once. _

Because Liebgott had always been there for her.

She wanted to return the favour.

"If you ain't back…". Liebgott still sounded pissed off, "I'll go fucking crazy, Abbey".

Abbey gave him the smallest of smiles.

"Buck's by the church!" She told him, "near one of the ditches – straight there!"

Giving her a firm nod, Liebgott called for Nelson and Jackson.

Abbey gave what covering fire she could, while her friends retreated back towards Buck and the rest. She shot out for a few further minutes, trying to plan out her next move. There was no safe route to take, they were stuck in the thick of it. But the best escape was to go through a ditch, head right around the village and try to find Toye that way.

Things were going well.

Abbey cut through a field and dove out from a hedge.

She landed in a ditch, by a road.

Men were starting to run down that road, heading towards trucks.

Abbey crawled up the ditch and got onto her feet.

And she ran back into town.

Abbey passed Heffron and Campbell, who were giving good covering fire while the men retreated back to the trucks and remaining British tanks. All she had to do was find Toye and the rest of the squad and get them back down the road. It's what she needed to do, just to make sure her friends were safe. Abbey knew that Liebgott, Nelson and Jackson would be fine. She saw them head towards Buck by the church.

"Abbey!"

Someone grabbed her arm.

Abbey was pulled to a halt.

Martin looked at her, "what the hell are you doing?!"

She yanked her arm free.

"I'm getting Joe!" Abbey yelled.

"Abbey, he's-"

She turned around and started running again.

"Abbey!" Martin yelled after her.

Reaching the town again, Abbey ran towards where she had last seen Toye.

Of course, he wasn't there but she just needed to check.

In fact, almost the whole building wasn't there.

Abbey was standing next to rubble.

With the 88's still crashing all around her, Abbey thought the best thing to do now was get the hell back the trucks and retreat with the rest of Easy. Her heart was hammering against her chest, lungs burning from inhaling so much smoke and running hard. Abbey almost gagged. Turning back around, she ran for around three seconds before something caught her eye.

It was Cobb.

He was sitting next to a building, covered in while chalk and dust.

The wall he was taking cover behind was half torn down.

Abbey ran over to him.

When she reached Cobb, she grabbed his shoulder.

"Roy! Get up!" Abbey said.

It was still very loud.

The Germans continued to fire at them.

There main focus were the men running out of town.

But Cobb wouldn't budge.

Abbey gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"Come on, let's go!"

She then heard a familiar clank and ticking sound.

Abbey looked to her left and saw a Tiger.

Its cannon was lowering, aiming right for them.

Eyes widening, she looked back at Cobb.

"Roy! We're going to get hit!" She exclaimed, "come on – we need to go!"

Cobb was shaking.

He was scared. Which was fair enough. He almost got blown to pieces.

But if they didn't move, they'd actually get blown to pieces.

Abbey ended up grabbing his arm and she gave him a yank.

Cobb fell to the side.

He blinked and seemed to snap out of it.

Abbey pulled him, helping him onto his feet.

Cobb looked at her, lips parted and eyes still glassy and wide.

Letting go of his arm, Abbey pushed him forward.

"Run!" She yelled, "Roy, run!"

He stumbled but found his footing.

Once he started running, Abbey followed after him.

They ran so fast; their feet barely touched the ground. It was almost like they were both flying down that town, the greatest race towards the road. And the tank was behind them, following their every move. Bullets zinged past them, threatening to hit them. And the Tiger rumbled, while it prepared to let off it's terrifying blast.

When it did fire.

Abbey almost didn't hear it.

She could hear something, but the noise was so faint.

What she did hear, was the explosion.

The shell landed behind her and seconds later, the whole earth rattled and shook. Everything came spewing up; bricks, debris and shrapnel. And then last of all, Abbey went flying with everything else. Something hot, heavy and solid hit the back of her head, moments after she lost her helmet.

And she came tumbling down onto the ground.

Dazed, sore and dizzy, Abbey let out a tiny and weak moan.

She was aware that the Germans were still firing, though she couldn't hear much. That blast deafened her. Abbey dug her fingers into the ground and started to crawl forwards. The road was so close, she could almost see the trucks. But her eyes were heavy and threatened to stay closed with every blink.

"To…Joe…". She mumbled.

Abbey continued to slowly crawl forwards.

Everything felt clustered and clouded.

Her head hurt and felt light.

Like she was floating out of her body.

But then hands grabbed her.

And they started to pull her away.

Abbey swallowed and gave her head a little shake.

"No…". She mumbled, "no…m'almost there".

"I've got you, Abbey".

He soon picked her up.

Abbey looked up, trying to work out the face.

Everything was so blurry.

"Joe?" She whispered.

"Don't worry…just stop talking, alright? You're 'gonna be fine".

She gave up on talking.

And closed her eyes.

Falling into darkness.


	33. Chapter 32

_ "Sorry, Abbey". _

_ Abbey squeezed his hand, giving her head a shake. _

_ But then Toye let go of her hand and took a step forward. _

_ A breeze picked up and slammed against her face. _

_ Abbey's eyes squinted from the force. _

_ She had to close them for a few moments, the wind was stinging her eyes and it gave her a horrible headache. A sickening feeling reached her stomach, Abbey coughed a few times. When her eyes opened again, she saw Toye standing on the edge of the roof. Now, all she could feel was dread. Abbey tried to step forwards, but her feet were glued to the spot – she couldn't move. _

_ She looked down at her boots and didn't see any problems. _

_ Why couldn't she move? _

_ Abbey looked back up. _

_ Toye had his arms to the side. _

_ And he looked so happy. _

_ "Joe". She whispered, "please…don't-"_

_ "Abbey". Toye said, "it'll be okay". _

_ "No!" She argued, "no, it won't be okay! This isn't going to be okay!" _

_ Smiling, he looked at her. _

_ "You're okay, Abbey". _

_ She frowned. _

_ "Joe! You're not!" _

_ He frowned and tilted his head to the side. _

_ "I'm fine, Abbey". He mumbled, "let me worry about you, okay?" _

_ "Joe, come back". She said, voice sounding pained. "Please – Joe, please…come back!" _

_ Toye turned away from her. _

_ He looked down. _

_ "Do you think I can fly, Abbey?" _

_ "No!" She practically screamed, "you can't fucking fly, okay?! You can't fly – you can't fly, Harry! You can't fly-"_

_ "hey, Abbey-"_

_ "stop! You can't fly!"_

…

"…hey, it's alright".

Abbey came around to coughing and spluttering.

At first, she thought it was someone else.

But then she felt something warm come out of her mouth.

Her head was turned to the side, the liquid pooled onto the ground.

Abbey coughed again, face turning into disgust at the sour taste.

A hand gave her back a rub.

She spat out the rest in her mouth and moaned quietly.

"Yeah…you hit your head good".

Very slowly, she was starting to make some sense of it all.

Her head was on something soft.

And she was moving.

Abbey opened her eyes and was met with a figure lying on the ground.

It took her a few seconds to realise they were all moving.

They were on a truck.

The sky was light, she couldn't have been passed out for too long. Abbey gave her eyes a rub, trying to clear the blurriness and dirt. The figure lying on the ground was Buck. He was on his side, a bandage wrapped around his bum. Malarkey was next to him, holding him down.

But what was her head lying on?

Abbey turned her head, so she was facing the sky.

Instead of the sky, she was met with familiar brown eyes.

Her lips twitched.

"Joe". She whispered.

Toye gave her a tiny smile back, "oh, good. You're up".

She must have looked rough because he looked concerned.

"I'm okay". Abbey mumbled.

Toye snorted, "yeah, right".

"My head hurts".

He sighed, "yeah…you got a bit of a cut on your head, but you'll be fine".

Abbey licked her lips, "you heard me?"

"I saw you". Toye said quietly, "and I went and got you".

"That's nice. Thank you".

He huffed out a tiny laugh.

"You're welcome, Abbey".

Turning her head again, she looked over at Buck.

"Is Lieutenant Buck okay?" She asked quietly.

"One bullet, four holes". Toye said, "went through both cheeks on his ass".

Malarkey noticed her and smiled, "our Lieutenant's 'gonna be fine, Abbey".

"Cool trick, huh?" Skip added, "one bullet-"

"four holes". Abbey mumbled.

She smiled small.

"Well…that's surprising". She whispered.

Abbey placed her hands on Toye's lap, before she pushed herself up into a sitting position. It hurt her head, made her feel dizzy but she had to sit up and prove that she was going to be okay. Her hands left Toye's legs and went to her head, which was bandaged up. Frowning, she looked up at Toye.

"Your head was bleeding, Abbey". He told her, "you're 'gonna be fine though, alright?"

"Okay".

Abbey could believe that. She trusted him.

A canteen was soon thrusted into her hands.

By Toye, of course.

Taking the hint, Abbey twisted off the cap and took a drink.

Buck looked at the vomit on the ground, then back up at Abbey.

"Thanks for avoiding me, sport".

Abbey swallowed the water in her mouth and nodded.

"You are welcome, sir".

Buck breathed out a small chuckle, before hissing in discomfort.

Toye took the canteen from her, while she leaned further into his side.

The trucks were bumping down the road at a quick speed and went over many potholes. It wasn't a comfortable ride back but at least they were on the trucks. And Abbey was happy to be with Toye again. Though, she did soon wonder about the others.

Taking a look around the truck, she spotted Heffron and Campbell.

But couldn't see Liebgott, Nelson or Jackson.

"They're in the truck behind us, Abbey". Heffron told her, as if reading her mind.

Abbey gave a tiny nod.

That was a relief.

"We can't find the Bull". Guarnere mumbled lowly.

She frowned.

_ Where was Bull? _

"Who's Harry?"

Abbey blinked.

Her body went stiff.

Toye continued to look at her.

"You said his name when you was out cold…who is he?"

She gave her head a little shake.

"No idea". Abbey mumbled, "must have just been some random".

…

The trucks dropped them off in Eindhoven.

Just that morning, the Dutch waved them off happily.

But now, they were taking away their orange flags and shutting their windows.

They knew the Germans would be back.

Easy marched through the city and dug foxholes in Tongelre, a suburb on the east side of Eindhoven. They felt guilty, defeated and tired. Guilty because the Dutch were no longer safe, defeated because they had to retreat and tired from the constant running and fighting.

Toye helped Abbey off the truck.

Her head still hurt but at least she didn't feel sick like before.

Liebgott, Jackson and Nelson were all relieved to see her.

Especially Liebgott.

"Don't do that again". He told her, "you had us fucking worried".

Abbey looked at him.

"Sorry". She whispered.

Liebgott wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

The 1st squad fallowed Toye across the grass and started to dig themselves foxholes to share. Liebgott was worried for Abbey, so he did most of the work, while she sat on the grass and helped whenever he wasn't looking. Nelson and Jackson dug in a few feet beside them, with Heffron and Campbell in the front with their machine-gun at the ready. Toye had disappeared for a few minutes and son returned with Roe.

The pair of them were heading straight for Abbey.

"Abbey…let him take a look, okay?" Toye reasoned, "just to make sure you're all good".

Still sitting, Abbey turned around.

The medic smiled and crouched in front of her.

Carefully, he took off the bandage and looked at the cut on the back of her head.

"You were knocked out?" He asked.

"Yes". Abbey replied, "but not for long-"

"almost a minute". Toye cut her off, "that okay, doc?"

"You remember what happened, Abbey?" Roe asked her.

"Yes". She said, "I was running back with Roy, a tank went off and it knocked me out".

"Oh, well, at least you remember". He said warmly, "you still feel sleepy?"

Abbey shook her head.

Roe looked back at her.

"You'll be alright". He said to her, "I'll come by and check on you later".

He took out a new bandage and some sulphur powder.

Abbey knew the drill.

She stayed still, while Roe tended to her cut.

Her head was once again bandaged up, her brain was in tacked.

Abbey was going to be okay.

When the medic walked back to check up on other wounded men, Abbey got onto her feet and walked over to Toye. Guarnere was close by, he was checking in with the mortar squad and seeing to it that everyone was digging their foxholes. With Buck back at the aid station, Guarnere would have to take charge of their Platoon until he came back.

"Joe?"

He turned and looked at Abbey.

She rubbed her lips together.

"I just wanted to ask you something". She mumbled.

Toye nodded.

"Sure thing, Abbey".

It reminded him of when she asked if he'd go to Liverpool with her.

Toye felt his heart warm at the thought.

That was so long ago.

"This morning". Abbey began quietly, "you, Bill and Buck…what happened?"

And the warm feeling turned cold for Toye.

Clearing his throat, Toye placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Diel's gone, Abbey". He told her softly, "he got hit, didn't make it".

Abbey didn't expect that.

Diel was their old Platoon Sargent, who later became 1st Sargent during Normandy.

And then, he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant and transferred to Able Company.

Diel was the first person to make Abbey feel proud of herself.

It was a low blow that he wouldn't be around to see the end of war.

"That is…very sad". Abbey whispered.

Toye frowned and gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"It is, Abbey". He agreed quietly.

Her eyes moved away from his.

She looked down at her boots, trying to process this.

It was sad. It was awful news. Diel was a great man.

Abbey wrapped one arm around Toye's waist.

"You'll be okay, Joe". She told him, "we all will".

He felt his eyes burn a little.

Letting go of her, Toye then wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

For a few moments, they stayed quiet.

Their foxholes were finished, men were starting to eat and process the events from that day. And the majority of 1st Platoon were planning on finding Bull. In fact, mostly everyone from Easy were sneaking off to find their Sargent. But for Toye and Abbey, the pair of them stayed where they were for the time being and looked across towards Eindhoven.

She remembered what Toye had asked her on the truck.

_ "Who's Harry?" _

Abbey took in a deep breath.

"Harry was my friend".

Toye frowned a little, surprised by the delayed answer.

But just as his eyes moved to look at Abbey, the Germans started to bomb Eindhoven.

Everyone stopped what they were doing.

The whole city was lit up in orange and yellow flames.

Everything was very bright.

Almost like the sun had come back out.

Abbey's eyes squinted, when it started to hurt a little.

And the feeling of failing, slowly started to sink in for her.

They had lost Eindhoven.

Bull was MIA, Buck was wounded and Diel was dead.

She leaned into Toye's side; the side of her face pressed up against him.

He tightened his hold, while they continued to watch the city burn.

It was a furious fire.

Abbey hadn't seen much like it.

The only thing that came close was after a bombing back in Liverpool, around Christmas time. It had been a terrible night and the next morning, five houses were on fire, plus a church. Lots of people wept that morning, grieving the loss of family members, friends and loved ones. As well as their much-loved church.

But never an entire city.

This was something else. She couldn't explain the fire power.

And all those Dutch people inside that burning city.

It was a lot to take in.

Toye broke the silence.

"Was?" He asked her quietly.

He was referring to Harry.

Abbey gave a little nod.

"Yes. Harry died".

And he never asked how, when or why.

Abbey was thankful for that.

…

Bull arrived back with Easy the next morning.

He had stayed hidden in a barn and had a wounded shoulder.

But he was alive, everyone was relieved to have him back.

It had been a rough night. No one slept much. If they weren't out looking for Bull, they were watching for the enemy coming back. The night was constantly tense, and Abbey had only managed to grab one hour of sleep throughout the entire night. It didn't help with her headache and the nausea in her stomach. Lack of sleep was terrible.

Abbey sat in her foxhole, trying not to throw-up or pass out.

She took regular sips of water, hoping that would keep her 'right'.

But even drinking water felt like a great effort.

Abbey screwed the cap back on.

Tucking her canteen away, she leaned back against the mud and faced the sky.

It was another bright morning.

The clouds were white, not a spec of rain among them and the sun was out.

"Abbey, get some rest".

Abbey's eyes followed Nelson's voice.

"Come on". He said, "I'll wake you up in an hour or something".

"Promise?" She murmured, eyes already closing.

Nelson smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, pal". He said softly, "I promise".

So, Abbey allowed herself to fall asleep.

And Nelson didn't wake her up.


	34. Chapter 33

"2nd Platoon, let's go!"

Abbey's eyes snapped open and she sat up.

Frowning, she rubbed her eyes and felt mildly confused.

_ What was going on?_

"Abbey, let's go".

Nelson reached out for her and took her hand.

Soon, Abbey was on her feet and out of the foxhole.

"That was not one hour". She grunted.

Nelson gave her an easy smile.

"No, you slept through the night as well". He said, "must have needed it".

Grabbing all their gear, they then marched towards the trucks.

Only one Platoon could get on the trucks.

Abbey walked along side Guarnere, Jackson and a few others.

The march towards Uden went fine for the first while. The Dutch underground had warned them of an attack in Uden, so that's where they were headed to next. Right in the middle of Uden and Veghel on the road, a Panzer task force slammed through their column. It split Easy in two.

One group was headed by Winters, ended up in Uden.

And the other group, around eight of them, headed by Guarnere ended up in Veghel.

Veghel was three miles southwest and the Germans had the town surrounded.

As soon as they entered the town, they were met with terrific screams.

Bullets were zinging, walls were exploded, and guys were screaming.

Guarnere and Malarkey led everyone down into a cellar for the night.

Inside, were a Dutch family.

They were slightly startled to see them at first, but Malarkey assured them;

"we're American, don't worry".

The eight of them got settled into the cellar.

The cellar was dark, damp and depressing.

Women were sobbing, children were crying, and men were praying. And outside, the Germans bombed the town from the sky and the ground, with their 88's. Everything came in three's, with only around five to ten seconds between each round.

** Boom! Boom! Boom! **

Wait five or so seconds.

Then came another three.

The cellar shook with each round, dust and chalk would fall from the ceiling.

It was frightening. That amount of fire power was terrifying.

Abbey was up against the wall, knees pulled up to her chest.

When the rounds started, she looked up towards the ceiling.

If that collapsed, they were dead.

When the rounds ended, Abbey looked back down.

"Are we 'gonna die?" Jackson asked her quietly.

She looked at her friend.

Abbey wasn't sure.

"Maybe". She mumbled.

He exhaled shakily, head gently thumping against the wall.

"Never even got to write to that fucking nurse". Jackson croaked.

Abbey's eyebrows twitched, forming a small frown.

"What would…what would you have said to her?"

He sighed again.

"Well – I wouldn't have lied, you know?" Jackson whispered, "would have told her, I'm just a normal guy…lives a normal life, has a good family and wants kids of my own one day".

"No medal of honour?" Abbey asked him.

He huffed out a tiny laugh, shaking his head.

"No, Abbey". Jackson mumbled thickly, "no medal of honour".

"You don't need to lie anyway, Jack". She said, "she will like you, just the way you are".

"Thanks, Abbey".

Rubbing her lips together, she nodded.

"Okay".

Smiling a little, Jackson reached over and took her hand.

Guarnere was making sure the guys were all okay.

He reached Abbey and Jackson last, who were both sitting in the back of the cellar. Best place for Abbey to be, it was pretty crowded down in the small cellar. Their Platoon Sargent gave them a tight smile and a firm nod.

"We'll sit down here for a bit". He told them, "see what's what".

"Bill, what of everyone else?" Abbey wondered.

Guarnere shrugged.

"No idea, Abbey". He said lowly, "could be that the Germans left Uden alone. We won't know until we get out of here".

Of course, Jackson and Abbey were thinking of the rest of the squad, who had followed Winters into Uden. For all they knew, everyone had been hit, just like they were being shelled. They planned to stay undercover, but that plan changed, when Sink came roaring into Veghel on his jeep and got the men from Easy, Dog and Fox Companies to set up a line of defence.

They all got out of the cellar and dug foxholes by the orchard.

Abbey used her hands to dig up the hole, Jackson ended up dropping the trench tool and started to use his hands too. Their foxholes were completed in minutes and they quickly took cover, just as the Germans started to bomb them again.

When it started to rain, their foxholes quickly filled-up with water.

They'd hear a shell and their heads would go between their knees.

When the shell exploded, they'd sit up and grin.

It missed them.

Abbey felt sick inside. This was torture. Three more, then three more again. No wonder men got combat exhaustion. Artillery fire sucked the joy out of life. It was loud, frightening and annoying. So much so, that Abbey ended up cursing with Jackson whenever they heard a shell.

"You fucking devil-"

"you wanker-"

"eat shit-"

"fuck you!"

Abbey must have lost her mind because she was laughing a little.

But at least Jackson lost his mind with her.

They both looked at each other, still laughing.

Jackson sighed, "WE'VE LOST OUR MINDS!" He yelled above the extreme fire power, into Abbey's ear.

She gave a nod.

"YUP!" Abbey screamed back.

"DID YOUR PARENTS NOT LOVE YOU ENOUGH?! YOU ATTENTION SEEKING BASTARDS!" He screamed at the enemy, when another round was dropped.

Throwing her head back, she let out another laugh.

In the foxhole behind them, Webster actually did think they had lost their minds.

But then again, his foxhole buddy was laughing too.

"MISSED AGAIN!" Abbey yelled, "YOUR TARGETS ARE SHITE!"

"BET YOUR GALS FUCKING HATE THE LOT OF YOU!" Jackson added.

Abbey felt something trickle down her nose.

Frowning, she placed a hand by her nostrils.

Her nose was bleeding.

That's how strong the impact was.

Abbey gave Jackson's arm a nudge, he leaned down.

"MY NOSE IS BLEEDING!"

"NO SHIT!" He said into her ear, "THOSE FUCKING KRAUTS, HUH?!"

Abbey kept her nose pinched to stop the bleeding.

And the laughter soon stopped, when a leg fell into their foxhole.

They both looked down at the leg.

Eyes were wide, lips parted.

Jackson grabbed the leg with a tiny gag and tossed it out of their hole.

And from there, it was all pure terror.

If someone screamed, they never heard it.

The bombs were so deafening, no one got any sleep that night. And they spent three days in their foxholes, under constant stress and heavy artillery. The British Typhoons gave them enough cover to get the hell out of there. As well as the air support, the British tanks pushed those Germans back and opened up the road, so they were able to get out of Veghel and head into Uden.

…

In the thicket of a pine forest, Abbey was crouched with her squad.

Easy were several hundred yards off the Veghel-Uden highway.

This was a few days after their intense shelling in Veghel.

It left a scar. When they returned back into Uden, the guys in Veghel could have dug themselves all the way to China. They wanted their foxholes to be very deep. Abbey still had a slight tremble in her hand whenever she thought about it or heard a loud noise. And on top of that, they were all still so exhausted.

Behind 1st squad was the mortars.

Abbey could hear Malarkey, Skip, Eddie and Penkala.

Heffron and Campbell had their gun ready to set-up.

Now, they were just waiting for an order to attack.

However.

West from the road, a Tiger suddenly appeared, with just it's turret and 88 barrel showing.

They had five Sherman tanks with them, being run by the British, attached to Easy. Someone ran for their British tank commander and took him to a sandy knoll, where the Tiger could clearly be seen through a small opening in the trees. He then radioed for one of their tanks to come up and it spun its tracks so it's 75mm cannon could get a bead on the turret of the Tiger.

But the tank commander didn't want to attack from that position. He had a better idea. He had the five tanks line up about one hundred yards to the south, in a narrow strip of pine. Where they could move through the trees and open fire from the edge of the trees before breaking into the sandy fields. While 2nd Platoon would space themselves between the tanks for an assault across the field to the Veghel-Uden highway.

Which Winters had just finished explaining to them.

"Understand?" He asked the Platoon.

"Yes, sir". They responded.

"Alright, let's go!"

Winters and the other Lieutenant from 2nd Platoon was to lead this attack and Platoon.

Toye got his squad organised between the tanks.

With Heffron and Campbell setting up to give covering fire for the assault.

And soon, they were advancing into the field.

But it proved to be a terrible mistake.

The Tiger had spotted their tanks straight away.

** Boom! Boom! Boom! **

It blasted it's 88 cannon, picking off each tank.

The first one was blown apart, hot chunks of metal falling all over the place.

"Get down!" Someone yelled.

Abbey and the squad quickly dropped to the ground, covering their heads.

The Sherman tanks were blazing and heating up in angry flames and the men inside were having a hard time getting out. Abbey, Malarkey and a few others got up and climbed on top of the tanks. They climbed the turret and opened the hatch. Malarkey grabbed the first guy, it wasn't easy to get them out, most of them were on fire.

"Get blankets!" Abbey yelled.

When the Brits were on the ground, someone would try and smother the fire with blankets and sand. But some of the men were so severely burnt, the future did not look good for them. One of the commander's hand was blown off. And the crew were in a state of panic and pain.

They did all they could for them at the time.

And they resumed crossing the field.

Bullets pinged against the sand, while they ran out into the open.

Abbey had her rifle up, firing back at them.

Toye had split the squad up, putting Corporal Campbell in charge of one section. Abbey was with Toye, Liebgott, Jackson, Nelson and a replacement who had joined them in England. In front of them was the other Lieutenant, who had to take over leading the Platoon when Buck got shot. However, the guy completely froze.

He buried his head in the sand.

Scared out of his mind.

Guarnere stopped and started grabbing him.

He yelled; "you're supposed to be leading the damn Platoon!"

With that said and done, they left the frozen Lieutenant and found some good cover.

Abbey, along with Jackson and Nelson, were behind this sandy hill and started to fire.

Malarkey was launching his mortars, hitting every target and blasting away the German machine-gun nests. And in the distance, the Tiger, who had made good work on their tanks, pulled out because the crown of the road blocked its sight towards them.

Easy spent all night in miserable constant rain, raking the roadway with mortar fire. And on the 26th of September, the Germans withdrew from the salient. That afternoon, in the rain, the Regiment marched back to Uden. Easy arrived after dark, tired and soaking wet. They dug themselves in, pulled their ponchos up to their necks and tried to get some sleep.

It rained all night and into the next day.

They ate rotten British rations, which sent their stomachs turning. But it was also harvest season, with plenty of pears and apples to go around. But they never smelt that fresh fruit, because the stench of mud and rancid water replaced that sweet smell. Ditches were always full of water in Holland.

"Mail call!"

As if someone turned on a light, the morale was lifted.

This was the first time they had seen mail for a while.

A spark of hope raced with Abbey, while she stood around for their letters.

Vest was tossing out letters to each guy.

Some of them didn't receive anything.

Abbey was standing with twenty guys, Vest only had eight letters left.

She hoped one was for her, but hoped they'd get one too.

It was very conflicting.

When it was down to Nelson and Abbey, she wished he had the last letter. And Nelson did but he never acted excited. He felt guilty that he had the last letter and Abbey didn't have one. She looked at him, shaking her head with a small smile.

"It's okay, Nelly". She said, "I do not mind".

While her friends read their letters, Abbey took a walk through the town by herself.

Uden wasn't massive. Not as big as Veghel or Eindhoven.

Winters had CP set up close by, the officers were billeted in houses.

Abbey actually saw Webster sweeping Lieutenant Peacock's floor the other day. She found that rather disgusting. Some officers treated their men like crap. Worse that crap, actually. It was hard being a Private in the army. And Abbey was lucky to have Lieutenant Buck and not some by the book officer like Peacock.

"Good afternoon!"

Frowning, Abbey turned to the sound.

It was the Dutch man who owned the store where CP was set-up.

The Van Oer family.

And he seemed friendly enough.

The old man was dumping water out of a bucket.

"It is…raining!" He said, "I have made coffee".

Abbey wasn't taking the hint.

She nodded, "that's nice".

The older man chuckled.

"Why don't you come inside? I have made coffee for everyone".

Well, she was getting soaked.

Abbey complied and entered the store.

Inside, she spotted Winters, Welsh and Nixon sitting around a table.

Mr Van Oer had a large pot of water boiling over a stove. And he had set out cups for the coffee. As well as milk and sugar. Abbey licked her lips; she loved milk and sugar. She hadn't had it since Aldbourne. The Dutch man smiled.

"Now, allow me to dry your coat".

Abbey took off her coat, eyes still staring at the glass of milk.

Mr Van Oer took her coat and hung it up next to the fire.

The man was being so lovely towards her, and they hadn't even met before.

"Edelweiss?"

Abbey turned around and followed his gaze.

He had spotted the white flower, poking up from her jacket pocket.

Her face relaxed into a small smile.

"My friend gave it to me". Abbey mumbled.

Mr Van Oer smiled, "it's a very…nice gift".

"Yes". She whispered, "it is".

"Come, dear girl". He said, "you must rest and dry off".

Abbey was led into the room with the officers.

The three of them looked on, curiously at her.

She gave them a salute and a shy sort of smile.

"Private Harrison?" Winters asked, pulling an amused face.

"Mr Van Oer found me, sir". Abbey told him, "he is making me coffee".

The old Dutch man pulled out a chair for her at the table.

And it felt very odd, sitting down with the officers.

Almost like she had walked into a castle with the king and his men.

But that only lasted for a few seconds.

Mr Van Oer left the room to make up the coffee.

Abbey clasped her hands together, placing them on the table.

Welsh took out a flask from his jacket pocket.

"We're 'gonna Irish up this coffee – you in, Private?"

She gave a little nod.

"I am in, sir".

When Mr Van Oer brought in the coffee, Welsh added whiskey to her cup, as did Nixon with his flask. Winters never, he didn't drink. Abbey never used to drink, not until she joined the army. She was old enough to make her own decisions. Her dad would drink. Not a lot but usually a glass or two of something on a Sunday. Not as much as his daughter, anyway.

It was during her Irish coffee where Abbey started to relax.

Her hands stopped shaking, her spine wasn't as stiff.

And she was enjoying being around the three officers.

Eventually, Abbey got up the courage to ask Winters;

"what happened to our Lieutenant, sir?"

"Oh, I got him out of here". He told her, "we can't be having that".

Abbey shook her head.

"No, sir". She said, "he buried his head in the sand – I thought that was only a metaphor".

Welsh snorted, "yeah, funny seeing that play out, huh?"

Abbey finished off her coffee.

Nixon then handed her his flask.

"Try this one, kid". He said to her, "you might like it".

Taking the flask, Abbey had a sip.

The whiskey was very strong.

A lot strong than Welsh's.

Abbey coughed a little, giving him a nod.

Nixon grinned.

"Nice, sir". She managed to squeeze out.

The three officers started talking again.

The fire was on, the room was warm, and Abbey felt her eyes grow heavy. That Irish coffee was having the opposite effect on her. It was meant to keep her awake, not send her to sleep. But Abbey hadn't been inside a warm house for a while and it felt very comforting. Slowly, her crossed arms leaned against the table, while her head started to tilt to the side.

Nixon laughed at something Welsh had said.

Abbey blinked and straightened her head back up.

She rubbed her eyes, letting out a tiny yawn.

"Can I leave, sir?" Abbey asked, "I will fall asleep".

Winters gave her a little nod.

"Of course, trooper". He told her, "have a nice rest".

"You too, sir".

Mr Van Oer wasn't happy giving her a half dry coat back.

But Abbey assured him she would be fine.

It was nothing she wasn't used to.

Putting on her jacket, she left CP and was once again, back out in the rain.

The cruel reality of war.

She had half an hour with feeling slightly normal and then, it was back to what she knew. The rain, muddy ditches and Germans. Still, Abbey would rather be stuck outside with Easy, than somewhere nice without them.

When Abbey reached her foxhole, she sat on the edge beside Jackson.

"I'm writing to that nurse". He told her.

Abbey's lips twitched.

"I've told her that when this all ends, I'm 'gonna go find her and marry her".

"Good for you, Jack". She mumbled softly, "I'm sure she will be happy with you".

And for the rest of the day, Easy shared out food they received from home.

They shared news from their loved ones.

And it gave them a bit of normality once again.


	35. Chapter 34

On the 2nd of October, Easy Company moved to the Island by truck.

They crossed the bridge at Nijmegan that had been captured by the 82nd on September the 20th. Once over the Waal, the trucks took them some fifteen kilometres, past dozens of British camouflaged artillery pieces, to the village of Zetten.

They arrived at night, to relieve the 43rd British Division. The 506th were taking over a stretch of the front line that had been held by an entire division. It was over six miles in length. 2nd Battalion were put on the right (east), with Easy on the far right with the 501st PIR to it's right. Easy had to cover almost three kilometres with only one hundred and thirty men.

British soldiers met the Company in Zetten and led them to their new positions.

It was a three-hour march.

And their position was a clump of houses nestled beside a huge dike. The Lower Rhine was on the other side of the dike, with a kilometre or so of flat and soggy grazing land between it and the dike. The area was littered with dead animals, soldiers, empty machine-gun belts and ammo boxes.

This was no-man's land.

Winters placed 2nd and 3rd Platoons out on the line, along the south side of the dike, with 1st Platoon in reserve. He placed outposts along the dikes that he calculated were most likely enemy infiltration positions. And they kept in contact with each other through radios, wire and contact patrols. Winters then set up his CP at Randwijk.

It was cold and dreary.

They all dug in and made their foxholes.

Abbey tried to ignore many disturbing things around her.

Rats didn't seem to be a great issue for her.

But the pigs turned her stomach.

The pigs were in ditches, eating the dead.

They would snort, oink and squeal, while they tore a body apart. Abbey could hear their teeth bite onto the bones and the first time she heard it, the trench tool dropped from her hands and landed on top of Toye. He tutted and picked the tool up from the ground.

"Hey – get back to work".

Abbey swallowed and grabbed her trench tool again.

This was an awful place.

Once the foxhole was completed, they sat down in the wet mud.

Like always, it was raining.

The raindrops tapped against their helmets, preventing anyone from sleeping. Abbey could still hear those pigs as well, which made matters worse. She even turned her head to the side, setting the noisy pigs a glare. Who, of course, didn't even notice or care for her.

But there was no rest for the wicked.

Winters wanted a three-man patrol.

Toye picked Campbell to lead, with Nelson and Abbey going with him.

She preferred it actually. At least she'd be away from those pigs.

The three of them walked over to Winters, who was standing waiting for them.

"Head to the riverbank, watch out for any enemy movement". Winters told them, "take notes of anything you see, report back to CP in a few hours".

"Yes, sir".

Getting over that dike was their first hurdle.

At the top, there was a wide two-way road and on the other side, was the field.

Campbell took the lead and got his patrol over the road and down the dike.

The three of them landed in the soggy field.

Abbey's boot got stuck in the swampy mud.

She tried to take a step forward but fell face first instead.

Nelson sighed and reached down, helping her up.

"This field is horrible". Campbell commented.

"No, shit". Nelson grunted, while he pulled Abbey's boot free.

She wiped the mud off her face with a tiny shudder.

He smiled a little and clapped her shoulder.

"Yeah…this is hell, Abbey".

Campbell faced the front again.

"Alright, let's get across this field".

Being covered in mud was just apart of her life now.

Abbey was used to it.

But the stress of everything was hard to push down sometimes. So, while they crossed the field, she counted back from sixty in her head and tried to stop herself from lashing out. It wouldn't do them any good if she decided to get angry, the Germans would surely kill them. She tried to focus on the task at hand; crossing the field and looking out from the riverbank. It was a good position to spot enemy movement. If the Germans needed to attack, they'd have to come from across the Rhine.

Nelson had the large radio strapped to his back.

If they came under fire, they'd call in for support.

Both artillery and more guys from Easy.

They reached the end of the field and took cover behind bushes and trees. Campbell put them both into position, Abbey was facing the left-hand side of the river. Her two friends were close by, Nelson was looking at the right and Campbell was staring straight ahead.

Three hours they had to stay there.

And so far, they didn't see anything.

They sat there, getting soaked from the rain and felt cold.

October in Holland was a rainy month.

Nights were cold, mornings were bitter and frosty.

"Hey, Abbey?" Nelson whispered.

"What?" She mumbled.

He licked his lips, hiding a smile.

"You remember when you and Cobb did that hand-to-hand combat match?"

She frowned a little.

Nelson continued, "you know, you got a good right-hook". He said, "I felt it myself".

Campbell frowned this time, "when the hell did she punch you?"

"Oh, we used to hate each other".

Abbey shook her head.

"No, I never hated you". She said, "I do not hate anyone".

Nelson cleared his throat, "well – I tripped her up, she was on top of me and punched me".

"You're an asshole". Campbell muttered, "the hell you tripping Abbey up for?"

"I was an asshole". He said, "Abbey's my friend – heck, she's my sister".

Abbey tried to ignore a warm feeling spread through her stomach.

That was nice.

She bit her lip, "Abbey can hear you".

Nelson snorted, "sorry, Abbey".

Campbell looked over and smiled at her.

"She's the Easy Company sister".

A nice silence past them.

Abbey's head was trying to process all of that, while her eyes stayed focused on what was in front of her. But it was hard to ignore. The men liked her, she had friends and Abbey trusted them all. She enjoyed being around them and hated being apart from them.

Smiling a little, Abbey allowed that warm feeling to spread.

And she felt happy, for the first time in a while.

The good feeling stayed with her, throughout that patrol.

Even when they got back and Abbey was met with noisy pigs, it didn't dampen her mood. She got back into her foxhole with Toye, sat on wet mud and felt the happiest she had felt in a very long time. Leaning back, Abbey placed her hands on the back of her head and looked up towards the sky. The rain wasn't so hard anymore. And soon, they all saw American B-24s flying over them.

"Go get 'em!" Heffron and a few others yelled.

It was a nice moment, reminding them, that they weren't alone after all.

…

Sargent Youman picked Liebgott, Lesniewski and Abbey to go on a patrol with him, Alley and Strohl. Winters wanted them to occupy an outpost in a building near a windmill on the south bank of the dike. The building was beside a north-south road that ran to a ferry crossing on the river to the north, back to the small village of Nijburg to the south.

The mood was fairly relaxed.

It was October 5th, around 0330 hours.

And so far, they hadn't made any contact with the enemy.

Patrols were always sent out at night. They never lifted their heads during the day. So, they were covered by darkness when they set off for the dike. Youman was in the front, Abbey was to his left, with Liebgott on the right. Lesniewski was point man, with Strohl and Alley at the rear.

When they reached the road, Youman ordered Lesniewski to go to the top of the dike to look things over, while the rest took cover. He went up, Abbey crouched down and got ready to fire if need be. And she looked to her right, to check on Liebgott but the man wasn't there.

Abbey frowned.

_ Where did he go? _

All was quiet, when they heard German voices. They were coming from the north side.

"Is that you, Youman?" Leibgott called out.

Then, Lesniewski called out; "grenade!"

Everyone got down and took cover.

The potato -masher was tossed towards them.

And more stick grenades followed after.

When they exploded, it almost blew Alley to pieces.

Abbey rolled onto her side and felt something hot and sharp slice against her hand.

But nothing compared to what Alley was going through.

She grabbed her hand, trying to cut off the bleeding.

Abbey then pushed herself towards Alley, making sure he was still alive.

"Alley, can you hear me?!" She called out loudly.

The Germans continued to hit them.

Abbey looked up and saw the faint out-line of an MG-42.

"Youman! We have to fall-back!" She yelled.

The Sargent was already getting Strohl and Liebgott up.

"Joe – help Abbey with Alley, let's go!"

Alley was alive.

But he was seriously wounded. A blast of shrapnel left wounds in his left side, face, neck and arm. He was groaning, very faintly but never complained once from the pain. Abbey placed her good hand on the side of his neck, trying to stop the bleeding. When Lesniewski came over, he grabbed one arm and Abbey had the other. Together, they dragged Alley back towards CP, which was one kilometre away through a soggy and wet field.

"What happened…". Alley mumbled, "what's – what's this?"

"It's okay". Abbey said back to him, "we are almost there".

They finally reached the barn, Liebgott and Youman opened the doors.

"We've got wounded!" He announced.

Immediately, Winters got up and they all cleared a space on the table for Alley.

Someone went off to fetch a medic.

Abbey was standing by the table, hand still on Alley's arm.

"Where was it?" Winters asked.

"Crossroads". Liebgott replied, "where the road crosses the dike".

"Force unknown". Abbey mumbled, looking at the Captain. "Lesniewski spotted a MG-42, before they hammered us with potato-mashers, sir".

She then looked over at Liebgott, who had a bandage pressed against his wounded neck.

Lesniewski looked over at him, "if it wasn't for your loudmouth, they'd have never known we was there".

"Hey…you know what, Joe? Back off-"

"no, he is not to blame". Abbey cut them both off, "they had spotted us already".

Small argument forgotten about; Winters went into action.

"Lesniewski, send a runner for Lieutenant Welsh. Lipton assemble me a squad".

"Yes, sir – first squad, on your feet!" Lipton called, "weapons and ammo only!"

Abbey and Liebgott weren't about to sit this one out.

With everything at the ready, they left the barn and headed towards the dike.

It gave her a sense of dread, going back to where Alley had almost died.

But still, Winters was with them.

And that made her feel slightly better about things.

Abbey was behind Boyle, who had come along with his radio.

In front of Boyle was Floyd, with Winters in the lead.

They were walking below the dike, where Youman's patrol had just come back from. And while walking, Abbey bandaged her hand to save herself from getting an infection. Just as she was tying the knot, a blast from an MG-42 sounded and broke the silence.

Everyone got down and took cover.

Abbey's back was pressed up against wet grass, Boyle was in front of her.

She could hear Floyd and Winters exchange quiet words.

"MG-42?" The Platoon Sargent asked.

"Yeah". The Captain confirmed.

"What the hell are they shooting at?" He asked, "what's down that road?"

"Regimental Head Quarters". Winters replied, "but that's three miles away. Why are they giving away their position?"

There was a moment of silence.

"They ain't as smart as me and you?" Came Floyd's remark.

Abbey's lips twitched.

"Sarcasm". She whispered.

Liebgott snorted from beside her.

Winters had to check things out before he got the rest of the patrol moving.

He crawled up the dike and disappeared from sight, after giving Floyd the order to wait for his signal. Abbey watched him go, hoping he'd be okay. It would be terrible if anything happened to their CO. The MG-42 would blast every so often, Abbey was biting down on her lip, while she sat in the tense silence between the burst of fire.

She then thought about Toye.

Abbey looked at Liebgott.

"Joe's going to kill us for coming along".

Liebgott shook his head.

"Don't worry about it". He whispered back, "it'll be fine".

"We never informed him". Abbey mumbled.

He found it a little amusing.

Abbey was more worried about how their squad leader would react, rather than the patrol. He sighed a little, shaking his head – Abbey sure had changed since Toccoa. But in the best way possible. Liebgott gave her shoulder a gentle nudge.

"Don't be worried, alright?" He assured her, "Toye won't be mad".

Abbey sighed a little.

She turned to face the dike again.

"I hope you are right, Lieb".

Winters appeared, giving Floyd the hand signal to get moving.

First, they climbed up the dike.

Then, they landed on the bottom by the road.

After a few moments, once they were all together, they crossed the road and headed down another dike, to where Winters was. The machine-gunners were set up on the top of the dike, while the rest of them stayed crouched with their Captain, waiting further instructions.

"This is our fall-back position, here!" He said, in a loud whisper. "Mortars, deploy here! First squad, on me!"

After receiving a nod, Winters sent the mortars off.

"Go!"

The patrol split up, while the rest followed their Captain through a long ditch.

They stayed in a crouched position, running forwards towards the road.

Abbey could hear the Germans talk and held her breath.

Two hundred metres from their position, Winters raised his hand, clenched it into a fist and the patrol halted and took cover. Then, the Captain moved forwards on his own to scout the situation. It was another tense few moments. Abbey's fingers tapped quietly against her rifle, while her eyes looked ahead.

Winters was on the top of the hill, looking onto the road.

He didn't stay there for long and eventually turned, giving Floyd the signal to move up, very quietly. Back on their feet again, the squad carefully crawled up the hill and got into their positions. Abbey got in beside Liebgott and took cover behind a small molehill of dirt. She could see the Germans very clearly now.

They were wearing long coats.

They looked like the SS.

Which took an unexpected turn.

Abbey didn't expect to see them lurking on the road.

She reached for her rifle and set it up on the edge of the small dirt hill.

Winters went around each man, giving them a target.

He gave one to Liebgott, then whispered hers into her ear.

Abbey looked through her sight and set it.

She followed her target around because he wouldn't stop moving.

The man was shooting down the dike at something.

His gun was blasting white sparks.

Still, she followed him carefully.

And it was strange, seeing a target so clearly and following him around.

He had no idea he was about to die.

None of them did.

They had to wait for Winters signal before they started firing.

And it seemed to go on forever.

Abbey breathed in the thick tension, while her finger gently rested against the trigger. She had one eye closed, the other dead set through her sight and on her target. Rubbing her lips together, she took in a breath.

_** Bap!**_

Winters took the first shot.

And breathing back out again, Abbey took her shot.

Her target's shoulder dropped.

She shot him again.

His knees gave way.

Sighing, Abbey bit down on her lip, shaking her head.

"Fall-back!" Winters ordered loudly.

Swallowing, she shot him again and left the position.

Their mortars went off.

And it started to rain with bullets.

Back down in the ditch, they sprinted to their fall-back position.

"Higgins!" Winters yelled, "handful of Krauts, based on the dike, twelve o'clock!"

Soon, they were all getting into a firing position.

Abbey was shooting out across the field.

It stretched two hundred metres.

Finding targets was fine, Abbey just aimed for the flashing white lights in the distance, which came out from the Germans guns. They were receiving some serious flak, however. The MG-42 fire was powerful and fierce. Their mortars were doing a good job of hitting those targets, but it seemed more and more Germans were firing back at them.

Winters spread everyone out.

Giving off the impression they had more men than the Germans might have thought.

Abbey was on his far right.

Winters was on the radio, which was attached to Boyle's back.

"Harry! Tell Peacock to bring up the balance of 1st Platoon on the double! And another machine-gun squad, over!"

Abbey took back cover when her clip ran out.

"Dukeman!" Winters yelled, "go get that machine-gun on the right flank, go!"

She put another clip in and was about to turn around and start firing again, when Dukeman let out a long sigh and flopped to the ground in front of her. It happened very quickly, Abbey almost thought he might have fainted.

Moving over to him, she soon saw something sticking out from his chest. A chunk of steel went through his shoulder blade and came out through his chest. Abbey's hands were shaking ever so slightly, while they hovered above the blade.

Luz looked over at them.

"Fuck – Dukeman's down!" He yelled, before firing back out.

Biting her lip, Abbey shouldered her rifle and grabbed Dukeman under the armpits.

She'd just need to drag him back to CP and get a medic.

Abbey wasn't as close to Dukeman as Blithe was.

But Dukeman was always kind towards everyone.

And the best she could do, was get him back with Easy and seen by a medic.

Abbey dragged Dukeman back through that ditch and decided to go the way they came, but further down the dike to keep them both safe from the enemy spotting them. Dukeman wasn't a small guy, he was tall and well-built. Abbey was pretty small compared to him, but the adrenaline kept her going at a decent enough pace.

Once she reached the bottom of the dike, Abbey took in a deep breath.

This was going to be a challenge.

Halfway up the dike, Abbey fell on her bum.

She almost lost her grip on Dukeman.

"Sorry, Bud". Abbey mumbled, "I still have a firm hold of you, however".

Getting back onto her feet, she continued to drag Dukeman up the rest of the dike. And thanks to their covering fire, Abbey crossed the road without any issues, before she made it towards the next dike. Coming down from that dike was hard, she didn't know how she did it. And all the while, she'd inform Dukeman of what was happening.

"It's a little slippery". She said, "but it's okay…I think we'll manage just fine".

Down from the dike was the field.

They were almost at CP; Abbey could see the barn.

Crossing the field went without further injury.

But it was difficult, even more so than last time.

Halfway across the field, Abbey's boot got stuck in the swampy mud.

Biting down on her bottom lip, she gave her leg a tug.

And she didn't budge.

"Fuck". Abbey whispered.

Licking her bottom lip, she had no other choice but to lay him down.

"I won't be long, Bud". She assured him, "I got stuck in the mud".

Giving her leg another forceful pull, she did manage to get out of the mud.

Only, her boot was still stuck.

Her socked foot hit the wet mud and she shuddered.

Grimacing, Abbey pulled her boot out from the mud next and put it back on.

Her foot was soaked and caked in mud.

But she gritted her teeth and took hold of Dukeman once again.

And finally, she made it into CP.

The barn door swung open, the rest of 1st Platoon were getting ready to leave. Peacock was barking out orders, Welsh was on the radio and Lipton was rushing around, trying to supply everyone with ammo and gear. It was noisy, chaotic and no one noticed Abbey enter the barn. She tried to spot a medic but couldn't seem to find one among all the chaos and rushing around.

Carefully, she lay Dukeman down on the ground and sat beside him.

Abbey then raised her head.

Her eyes caught Lipton first.

"1st Sargent Lipton!" She called, "Lip – I need help!"

Lipton stopped in his tracks, holding a round of machine-gun ammo.

And his eyes slowly widened, when he saw the state of Dukeman.

Placing everything down, Lipton soon rushed over to them.

"Someone get me a medic – now!"

Abbey was relieved to have some help.

Lipton was down by their side in no time.

First, he placed his hand on the side of his neck.

And then, he stilled.

The whole barn went so quiet.

The only sound was the door closing, when a trooper went off to fetch a medic. Which wasn't needed. Lipton sighed and sat down heavily. Looking towards Martin, who was the closest next to him, he gave his head a shake.

"Holy shit…". Martin whispered.

Dukeman had died.

…

Back at that ditch overlooking the field, each man was assigned to an assault squad.

From there, they'd race across the field and attack the enemy from the road.

It was an attack to push those SS officers back, once and for all.

Easy couldn't surrender, they were facing too many Germans to do so. They'd completely outflank them if they didn't do anything about it. So, when Abbey arrived with the balance of 1st Platoon and another machine-gun squad, Winters had set up three squads and planned to race across the field and attack.

They were to go at the red smoke.

Winters tossed a smoke grenade out onto the field, got up from the ditch and started to run.

The rest waited anxiously.

The smoke grenade didn't set off right away.

Winters was running out there alone.

Abbey's boot was dug into the mud, preventing herself from running after him.

And as soon as red smoke appeared, everyone got up and sprinted.

For two hundred metres, they had never run faster or harder before.

All that adrenaline kept them going.

Like the rest of the men, Abbey hadn't slept or had anything to drink all night and now, it was morning and the sun was set up high, revealing their cover. Her feet pounded as loud as her heart, they charged down that field like it was a horse race.

When they reached the end, Winters was already there, shooting.

Abbey couldn't count how many Germans were standing around, confused by the sudden attack. But she got down on her stomach and started to fire back at them, along with the rest from 1st Platoon. It was like a duck shoot. They were hitting each and every target with ease. Tired, angry and pumped with adrenaline, they could face just about anything.

And then, from the top of the hill, another Company of Germans came down.

"Holy shit!"

"It's a whole another Company!"

Men were exclaiming.

Abbey found this surprising, she wasn't expecting that.

Reloading, she started to shoot the fleeing Germans.

Shot, after shot.

Clip, after clip.

Easy were giving these guys holy hell.

But soon, the Germans gave them hell back.

With artillery.

The earth rumbled from underneath them, while the Germans across from them jumped up into the air from each explosion. Limbs fell all around them, as did the dirt and shrapnel. Abbey then saw that the artillery was gaining on them, they'd need to move out of the way and quickly.

"Take cover!" Winters yelled, "it's German artillery!"

Abbey's face was plastered against the grass.

Her hands went around the back of her head, bringing herself in closer to the earth.

Like back in Veghel, everything was loud.

Men were screaming, shells were pounding down on them.

The earth was shaking, and their hearts were in their throats.

Abbey thought that was it – she was going to die.

The next shell should have been for her, surely.

But something grabbed her arm, pulling her back into a ditch.

Abbey opened her eyes and saw Liebgott.

He shook his head, "idiot! Out in the open!"

She couldn't argue back; Abbey was past caring.

The pair of them stayed down while the Germans shelled them.

And when it ended, they got out of the ditch and headed back towards the road and field. Many of Germans were dead, some had been taken prisoner. Abbey walked down the line of the field with Liebgott, just looking at all the dead on the field. She was unaware that she had been walking alone for the past few minutes, until she heard someone fire.

Jumping, Abbey spun around.

It was Liebgott.

Her eyes wondered back towards the field.

He was shooting down some of the wounded.

Abbey didn't know if he was doing this to be kind or doing it for revenge.

Either way, it didn't sit well for her.

"Why are you doing that?" She asked, when he stopped to reload.

Liebgott shrugged.

"They're Krauts, Abbey".

Biting her lower lip, she slowly shook her head.

"No". She mumbled, "that is not it".

"What the fuck do you know?" Liebgott snapped, "huh? You don't feel nothing".

Abbey looked over at him.

He had loaded up his rifle and was soon shooting out across the field again.

Lowering her eyes to her boots, she turned around.

Abbey walked away from Liebgott and headed for the dike.

Men from her Platoon had joined in with the fight that morning, just after the rest of 1st Platoon had joined them. Guarnere, Toye and Nelson were at the bottom of the dike, going over some stuff which happened that morning. On top of the dike, the medics were serving coffee, water and cooked food, while they helped the wounded onto jeeps to be evacuated.

A drink of water sounded good for Abbey.

But before she could get up the dike, Toye grabbed her arm.

She stopped and looked at him.

His lips twitched, "good job, Abbey".

_ "You don't feel nothing". _

She felt that.

Abbey gave her squad leader a small nod.

Smiling, Toye squeezed her shoulder.

"Get something to drink and eat, huh? See you back on the line".


	36. Chapter 35

On October 6th, 2nd Platoon were relieving B Company in a defensive position on the dike. They were brought up by trucks in broad daylight, which was silly. The Germans had the high ground, so, they had to assume the enemy could always see them.

Nonetheless, they made it into their new position on the dike.

Guarnere was taking the mortar squad to set things up and gave everyone else orders. Toye was ordered take his squad towards a house to go and occupy it, a few guys from B Company were leaving, just as the squad arrived. They told them things had been pretty quiet and the only action was a round of mortar shells which was directed at a nearby house. He kind of shrugged the whole thing off but the squad knew the Germans had a bead on that area.

They continued to walk up the side of the house.

When Toye turned around and called for Heffron.

"Hey, Heffron! Bring your machine-gun up!"

Abbey was standing in front of Heffron.

She stepped aside, letting him past.

But Campbell stopped him.

"Heffron, you stay here with the gun. I'll go up with Toye".

He nodded and took a step back.

Abbey turned back around, Toye and Campbell had rounded the corner of the house.

And as soon as they turned the corner, a German 88 exploded right on top of them.

The side of the house soon came crashing down.

Abbey let out a tiny scream, before she dropped and covered her head.

The rest of the squad, who were behind them, did the same.

But Heffron and Abbey got the worst of the falling house.

They were covered in white chalk and debris.

Heffron coughed and stumbled onto his feet.

"Abbey!" He croaked.

Moaning a little, Abbey slowly sat up.

She reached for her helmet and stuck it back on her head.

"Yes – present".

Heffron grabbed her arm and helped her up.

Abbey flicked the white chalk off her jacket.

And soon, they ran around the corner to check on Toye and Campbell.

There was a large cloud of shell powder, like a mushroom cloud. And Toye stepped out from it.

Immediately, Abbey and Heffron walked over to him.

Shaking his head, Toye took a step back.

"Don't touch me, I'm hit all over".

Abbey swallowed.

Sure enough, he was badly hit.

He was hit on his back and legs. His neck was all chewed up by shrapnel.

That was another trip to the aid station.

Abbey pursed her lips and soon looked down.

There, she spotted Campbell.

Heffron went down to check his pulse.

"He's dead, Heffron". Toye said, "I already checked".

The shell had hit Campbell on the back, killing him instantly.

Campbell had a pair of Dutch wooden shoes in his musette bag, which were a gift from a farmer. And the shell sliced those shoes right in half. Heffron threw his topcoat over Campbell and said a prayer for him. Abbey watched in silence.

She couldn't believe it.

Heffron cleared his throat and looked over at their Sargent.

"Joe – I'm getting you 'outta here".

And with that said, he tossed Toye over his shoulder.

They raced across the top of the dike, while mortars and bullets tried to hit them.

Abbey gave them what covering fire she could offer, throughout their race to the aid area. The aid area turned out to be CP, like before. And once inside the barn, Toye was laid on a table while Welsh sent a runner to grab the medic.

"Abbey, I 'gotta go". Heffron told her, "you stay with him?"

She nodded.

Abbey reached Toye's side.

His eyes met hers, they looked worried.

Toye took her hand.

"It'll be okay, Abbey". He told her quietly, "but you 'gotta do me a favour, alright?"

"Okay". She whispered.

Toye squeezed her hand.

"Look out for the fellas".

Abbey's heart sank.

She couldn't do that. She wouldn't be any good.

"What about-"

"nah, come on". Toye said, "you'll be alright".

"Just until you come back". Abbey mumbled, "promise?"

He gave her a little nod and a small smile.

"I'll be back soon, Abbey".

Abbey sighed.

Her shoulders dropped, while she took in his cuts.

"Will you stop getting hit, please?"

Toye snorted, "oh, I'll try, Abbey".

"It pisses me off, Joe".

That made him chuckle, despite the pain.

Abbey frowned a little, looking back at him.

"I don't want you to go".

Toye's frown matched hers.

"Just a few days, Abbey". He promised her, "then you can go back to normal".

"No – not that". She mumbled, shaking her head.

Toye thought Abbey just didn't want to take charge of the squad.

That was far from the truth.

"Joe, I'll just miss you a lot". She said, "and it's selfish of me to miss you-"

"hey". Toye cut her off, "I'll miss you too, Abbey".

Something pulled at her heart.

And her chest tightened when Roe and Winters rushed over to them.

Abbey took a step back, allowing the medic to go over Toye's wounds.

Rubbing her fingertips together, she watched while Roe requesting for an ambulance to take him back to the aid station. Abbey felt her stomach turn. She didn't want Toye to leave them, but she didn't want him to get any worse either. And feeling a little lost, she watched a few others lift her friend up and take him out towards the ambulance.

When the barn doors shut, she jumped a little.

Abbey sighed and looked down at her hands.

Campbell was dead, Toye was out.

That spark of happiness was well and truly gone.

Campbell had given her that spark. And it was taken away from her shortly after Youman's patrol. Now, a grey cloud was back hanging over her head. It never rained, it just sat there, ready to explode. Morale was so treasured out in Holland. When it was there, it felt great and moments later, it was taken away from you and left you feeling down and tired.

God, she was _so_ tired.

Abbey ran a hand down her face.

She thought she had been alone this entire time.

Winters, Welsh and a few others were still there.

And Abbey couldn't move from the spot.

_ "She's the Easy Company sister". _

She'd never forget Campbell saying that.

Abbey left the barn after another few minutes of complete silence.

Walking back to their line was uneventful.

She didn't get hit; the Germans didn't spot her.

Everything went fine.

Heffron was inside his foxhole, zoned out.

Nelson and Jackson were fairly quiet.

And the rest were scattered across the line, doing their own thing.

But her eyes soon spotted Liebgott, who was sitting by his foxhole.

Abbey walked over to him.

And without saying anything, she sat down next to him.

They hadn't fallen out over what Liebgott had said to her. Abbey didn't hold grudges and she would never hold what he said against him. War could take everything away, mainly friends. And Abbey didn't want Liebgott thinking she disliked him, if she ever died. But still, Abbey thought he deserved an apology from her – for whatever reason.

"I will say I am sorry".

And Liebgott frowned, looking at her.

"If I ever gave you the impression that I do not". Abbey mumbled, eyes fixing on her hands. "I do care very much. You are my friend; you are all my friends. And I am sorry".

Slowly, he shook his head.

"Shit – Abbey". He whispered, "how fucked up are you?"

Her face dropped.

Abbey was confused.

"Why are you insulting me?" She mumbled.

Liebgott put his rifle to the side.

"I'm not, alright?" He said to her, "you don't got to apologise, Abbey".

Frowning still, she met his eyes.

Liebgott gave her a sad sort of smile.

"I was an ass". He said quietly, "I was angry – Alley got hit, we lost Dukeman. Hate this fucking war, you know? I shouldn't have lashed out on you, Abbey. I'm sorry for that".

Blinking, she gave a small nod.

"Okay". Abbey whispered.

Liebgott placed his hand on her shoulder.

"We have lost Jim".

He nodded, "yeah". Liebgott whispered, voice heavy. "We did, Abbey".

"He was a father". Abbey continued, "I bet…I bet he was a great dad".

He gave her shoulder a squeeze.

Abbey raised her head.

She got back onto her feet and shouldered her rifle.

Liebgott looked up at her.

"I will look after you all". Abbey said to him, "until Joe gets back".

Though, she did doubt herself an awful lot.

Abbey wasn't a leader, but she would be whatever Toye wanted her to be.

…

Part of her job as temporary squad leader was to have the men go on watch and switch every two hours. One night, she placed Nelson and Jackson on OP at the junction of a farm road where they had placed an anti-tank gun. By that OP was a radio. Abbey was at 2nd Platoon CP with Guarnere and Welsh that night. She'd sit there for two hours, wait for a call in and if nothing happened, she'd get another two from the squad and they'd switch.

It was around two in the morning when Abbey put Nelson and Jackson on watch.

2nd Platoon CP was set up in a run-down house.

It didn't have a roof; the side of the house was missing but it would do.

There, Abbey sat on the ground by the radio.

"It won't go off with you staring at it, nut". Guarnere chided.

Abbey looked over at him.

The Platoon Sargent was smoking a cigarette, while cleaning his rifle.

"It might". She mumbled, turning back to face the radio. "I just want to be ready".

"Joe did the same when you was on watch the first time".

Abbey's lips twitched.

"That man was worried to no end". Guarnere said, "I told him, you'd be fine. And you were".

There was a small pause.

"And I'll tell you the same, nut".

Abbey smiled and gave her head a little shake.

"Nelly and Jack, right?" Guarnere asked her.

"Yes". She mumbled, "with the anti-tank gun".

"Good". He mused, "they're good fellas".

"We should recommend Nelly for a promotion". Abbey whispered, "we need a Corporal".

Guarnere nodded slowly.

"Yeah…could do". He said, "or…what 'bout you?"

"No". Abbey said, "I'm fine with being a Private".

He looked over at her.

Abbey's eyes never left the radio.

Guarnere shook his head.

"Alright". He grumbled, "I'll recommend him".

The radio let out a squeak of sorts.

Abbey's head raised.

_"Easy CP, this is OP 2". _

She picked up the radio.

"OP 2 this is Easy CP".

_"Tiger coming in from the west. Preparing to fire". _

Abbey nodded.

"Fire away, Easy CP out".

The radio cut off.

She looked over at Guarnere.

"Alright". He said to her, "get the rest of your squad, head up towards that farm road".

It didn't take long to gather up the squad.

During Holland, they had lost a few of them.

They didn't have twelve men anymore, they only had eight.

The 1st squad made their way towards the farm road and got behind the anti-tank gun.

Nelson and Jackson were firing at it, trying to get a dent into the Tiger.

The Tiger wasn't moving back and continued to head their way.

Abbey bit down on her lip;

"keep on hitting them!" She yelled, "they'll back-up eventually!"

It wasn't just a Tiger, it was a German "King" Tiger, as they called it.

These tanks were huge and extremely powerful.

If that tank got into their lines, it would wipe them all out.

Nelson and Jackson resumed to fire at this tank.

It was knock after knock.

They hit the tank every time.

Abbey bit down on her lip, nodding.

Her friends were doing a great job.

After fifteen rounds on the Tiger, the tank eventually backed away.

Abbey placed her hand on Jackson's shoulder.

"Okay, hold your fire".

The left side of the tank slid into a ditch. And try as they might, the tank couldn't get out.

They all watched, wondering what would happen next.

Abbey didn't see any Germans get out of the tank.

"It must have an escape hatch at the bottom". Nelson pointed out, "a lot of tanks do".

"We need to investigate". Abbey mumbled, "someone run back and grab Malark, he has a screwdriver".

"We can get the hatch off at the top". Jackson said, "we don't need the tools".

"No". She said, "but Malark will want that manufacturer plate".

Someone went off to grab Malarkey.

Abbey, Nelson and Jackson walked over to the tank.

The first thing she did, was take a look underneath and sure enough, there was another hatch at the bottom of the tank. It was left open, meaning the Germans must have escaped while the tank fell into the ditch. The tank was empty, they didn't have to shoot the enemy.

All in all, it was a successful night watch for her squad.

"Good job". Abbey told Nelson and Jackson. "I don't suppose this is going anywhere".

And because her friends did so well, a spark of happiness reached her stomach.

Malarkey was happy to get what he wanted from the Tiger.

The night ended on a high note.

Abbey's squad were off watch the next morning.

After making sure they were all getting some rest, she made her way back to CP, wanting to inform Winters of what happened. Inside CP, it was very quiet, and Winters was alone. Abbey closed the barn doors, gave the Captain a salute and walked over to him.

"Nelly and Jack took down a King Tiger coming in from the west, sir".

Abbey informed Winters of what had happened.

She expressed how well they both did during the attack.

"I think the tank is stuck, sir".

And Winters was impressed.

"Good job, Abbey". He said, "tell them I'm proud".

A smile reached her lips.

"I will, sir".

And then, she cleared her throat.

"Sir?"

"Yeah?"

Abbey rubbed her lips together.

"Can I make a recommendation, sir?"

Winters nodded, willing for her to go on.

"Of course, trooper".

"Thank you, sir". She said quietly, "I think Nelson would be an excellent Corporal, sir". She told him, "he's done a great job with our squad, sir. And he's been around since Toccoa".

He listened to what she had to say.

Winters agreed; Nelson would make a great assistant squad leader.

It was nice and touching, how much Abbey went on about Nelson.

His drive, his loyalty and his dedication towards Easy and the squad.

Abbey must have talked for ten minutes about Nelson.

And Winters listened carefully, taking in everything she was telling him.

"He makes a good candidate for a promotion, Abbey".

She gave him a nod.

"He does, sir". Abbey told him. "I have told Bill to do the same, sir".

Winters smiled, "oh? That's good, Private".

"Yes, sir…it is".

He was quiet for a few moments.

"What do you think about Lieutenant Heyliger?"

Abbey frowned a little.

"Is he the HQ Company mortar Platoon leader, sir?"

Winters gave her a nod first.

"Yeah…well, he was".

"Well, I haven't actually met him before, sir". Abbey told him, "but Bill speaks highly of him, as does Malark and Skip".

Crossing his arms, Winters leaned back against the table.

He tilted his head to the side and looked at her.

"What if Lieutenant Heyliger took my place as Easy Company's commanding officer?"

Abbey continued to frown.

Her eyes searched the floor, for a correct answer.

"You wouldn't have a job, sir". She mumbled.

Winters lips twitched in amusement.

"Alright". He said kindly, "well, what if they promoted me to 2nd Battalion executive officer?"

She snorted softly.

Abbey gave her head a tiny shake and looked up at him.

Her lips formed into a soft and small smile.

"That's a good promotion, sir".

Winters smiled back at her.

"Thank you, trooper".

It was good news; Winters deserved that promotion.

But he would be missed.

Abbey saluted the man.

"Thank you, sir".

_ For everything. _


	37. Chapter 36

"Hit it-"

"trying-"

"come on…my shoulders are killing me".

Abbey had her rifle in her hands and was trying to knock down apples from the tree. For her to reach, Nelson had her on his shoulders. They were living off little K-rations and mostly apples. Everyone was sick of eating apples but it's what they had to live off for the time being. On top of that, they were constantly wet from the rain, they hadn't showered since England and got little to no sleep, as they only moved around for patrols at night.

She knocked her rifle against the branches.

A few apples fell.

Abbey smiled.

"Got them, Nelly!"

He grunted, "that's great, Abbey – come on, get off me now".

Nelson lowered himself down, she got off his shoulders and started to pick up the apples. She stuffed them into her bag, Nelson took a few more, which had fallen earlier on. That was supper sorted anyway. Apples. And then apples the next day. Everyone was dropping weight from their diet. Nelson's shoulders were like twigs now, he had lost a lot of muscle.

"Joe's doing the next one".

"No, he is recovering".

Nelson shook his head, "they let him out too fucking early".

Abbey shrugged.

"He wanted to come back, Nelly".

Toye coming back was the greatest relief.

Nelson was promoted to Corporal and things went back to normal.

They both made it back to their position.

Abbey and Nelson shared the apples out with the squad.

And they all sat down and ate their supper.

Heffron took a bite out of his apple and shuddered.

"These ain't right".

Abbey chewed the pieces of apple in her mouth.

It did taste strange.

Almost like vinegar.

Toye gave his apple a sniff and pulled a face.

"These are rotten – don't eat 'em".

Sighing, the rest of the squad dropped their apples.

Abbey was already halfway through hers.

Heffron spat out what was in his mouth, before tossing his apple away.

Sighing, she gave up and did the same.

"Now what?" Jackson grumbled.

"They're not all rotten". Liebgott said, "try another tree".

"Tomorrow". Toye told him, "we've got watch soon – Abbey, Jack – you two are first".

Their outpost was set in front of their barn, where Toye had placed his squad.

It looked across a field and towards the Rhine river.

Their barn had no roof, but it was better than sleeping in a hole.

By them inside the outpost, was a phone, which was wired up to their Platoon CP.

Bain, their radioman, he took care of all communications within their Platoon. If the Germans shelled them, they'd break the wire and Bain would go out on his own to repair any damage to the wires. He ran back and forth a lot, Guarnere was always calling for Bain to do something.

So, with the rain hitting them, Abbey and Jackson sat in the outpost.

Like most nights, it was tense and cold.

They'd take turns with looking out of the binoculars every ten or so minutes.

Abbey rubbed her stomach.

"That apple isn't sitting well with me".

"Oh, great". Jackson mumbled, while looking out of the binoculars. "If you decide to puke, please, aim for outside our OP".

Her lips twitched.

"Okay, Jack".

"You should have stopped eating it".

"I thought it was strange". Abbey mumbled, "but I was hungry, and vinegar does not bother me".

Jackson shook his head, "apples ain't supposed to taste like that".

"Well, I know that now".

He chuckled quietly, "right…little too late, sunshine".

Abbey frowned.

She looked down at her hands.

"Sunshine?" She questioned, "since when have I resembled the sun?"

"You don't". He said, "which makes the name funny".

"It does not suit me-"

"it's a joke".

Abbey bobbed her head, "yes, well – please, call me a different name. Abbey is a good choice".

Laughing again, Jackson handed her the binoculars.

"Your turn, moody".

Frowning again, she put the binoculars up to her eyes and looked across the field.

Jackson leaned back and wiped his nose.

"You think Bill will escape the hospital?" He asked.

"Perhaps". Abbey mumbled, "he got hit on the leg and fell off a motorbike, however. They might advise him to stay a little while longer than he'd like to".

"Yeah – he'll go AWOL".

"That is a big possibility".

Guarnere couldn't stand the thought of being transferred to some other unit.

If push came to shove, he'd escape that hospital.

"Can't blame him". Jackson said, "I went AWOL too".

Abbey turned her head, looking down towards the right of the river.

She couldn't see anything, nothing out of the ordinary, anyway.

Jackson crossed his arms.

"Man…it's starting to get colder now, huh?"

But then, her eyes caught something very strange.

It could have been anything, a log floating in the river.

However, that log somehow managed to grow legs and arms.

Abbey pulled the binoculars away from her eyes.

"Jack, someone is swimming across the river".

Frowning, he sat up and grabbed the binoculars.

"Where?" He asked, while Abbey grabbed her rifle.

"Towards the right. I'll go and see if everything is okay".

Jackson could see the figure now.

The guys arms and legs were going at a great speed.

"Alone?" He asked her.

Abbey got out of the outpost.

"Not alone". She said, "you are watching me".

"Don't fall in". Jackson warned her, keeping his eyes fixed on the mysterious man.

She ran across the field.

Like all fields, it was soggy and marshy, but the mud wasn't as thick as the last one. Though, she did slip and almost fall a few times during her race. Abbey didn't like the thought of getting her already muddy and wet uniform, even more muddy and wet. So, she tried to keep her balance as best as she could while running.

When she neared the figure, Abbey started to walk.

Very quietly, she got behind a tree and peaked out from behind it.

The man swimming was getting near her.

He was wearing a beret and looked like he had seen better days. Abbey knew this man wasn't the enemy, she could hear him curse in English.

"Fucking hell".

The man was British, from London, Abbey thought.

Revealing her cover, she watched the man near the riverbank.

"Hello-"

"who's that?!"

She had startled him.

Abbey walked towards the bank and got down on her knees.

"Don't worry, I am not German". She mumbled.

The situation was extremely odd.

Even for Abbey.

And the British man didn't reply, too focused on reaching the riverbank.

"Why are you swimming?" She asked, "it's…it's a little cold for a swim".

He let out a tiny huff of laughter.

"Oh, it wasn't my choice". He told her, hands grabbing the bank.

Abbey reached down and took hold of his arm.

"Okay". She said, while helping pull him up. "But…why did you swim?"

He seemed out of breath and sat there for a few moments.

The man took off his beret and rubbed his head.

"I escaped". He said to her, "I was in a German hospital, held as prisoner".

Abbey looked across the river.

"Over there?" She asked him.

He nodded, "that's right".

Sighing quietly, Abbey looked back at him.

"I sense there is more".

He smiled a little, "that's because there is…I have 125 British troops, some ten Dutch resistance fighters, who are being sought by the Jerry's. As well as five American pilots hiding out with the Dutch underground on the north side of the Lower Rhine". He looked at her, "can you direct me to your commanding officer?"

"I am not sure of his whereabouts at the moment". Abbey told him, "but I can get you to him".

He gave her a nod, "you fighting with the Yanks?"

"I am fighting with Easy Company. 2nd Battalion, 506th PIR".

"Colonel Dobey, British 1st Airborne Division".

And he shook her hand, much to her surprise.

He smiled, "thank you for your help".

…

One week after the strange incident, Abbey's name was mentioned for a daring rescue mission. She, along with Malarkey and men mainly from 3rd Platoon, were picked for Operation Pegasus. Colonel Dobey was going to get his men back. As well as the Dutch and American pilots. The plan for this mission seemed simple enough on paper.

They'd cross the lower Rhine in total darkness by boats. Two Easy Company riflemen by boat. Dobey had managed to maintain phone communications with the Dutch underground after his escape across the river and each night before the rescue attempt, the escapees would creep closer to the north bank of the lower Rhine.

A red flashlight blinking V-for-victory would be their signal to cross.

While machine-gunners from 2nd Platoon were positioned to give them covering fire, if need be. On the night of the rescue, British artillery would fire shells into the high ground, west of Arnhem, to provide a background of fire that would silhouette those being rescued. They hoped no covering fire would be needed from their machine-guns.

Abbey was leaning against a tree, watching the rubber boats beside her.

Malarkey was leaning against the same tree, on the other side.

It was a daunting though, crossing the river to rescue all those men.

Abbey's stomach was churning.

Malarkey wasn't doing any better either.

"This'll be a miracle if this works". He whispered to her.

Abbey agreed; it was high risk.

They were crossing beneath the enemy's nose.

And then, she spotted a flash of red light from across the river.

"Malark, I think that's our light". Abbey whispered.

"Yup – you're right, let's get this done".

Walking towards the bank, Abbey and Malarkey slid into their boat.

They were the lead boat for this operation.

The river was about fifty-yards wide and then came the issue of paddling. Once they grabbed a paddle each, they realised just how loudly they hit the water. Abbey grimaced and looked at Malarkey, who shared the same expression. The oars were so loud against the water because everything around them was quiet.

He gave her the nod to continue.

Abbey pushed the oar against the water again.

It just had to be done.

No turning back now.

Abbey's nose twitched.

She needed to sneeze.

That would have been a terrible mistake. Quickly, she placed the end of the oar under her arm and used her free hand to pinch her nose tightly. Abbey's body jerked with the sneeze and her ears popped but she didn't make a sound. Trying to rid the popping sensation by swallowing several times, Abbey took back the oar and started paddling again.

Fifteen minutes passed.

Ten yards from the north shore, Malarkey lowered his eyes below the bore and could spot figures huddled on the bank, the fires from the British incendiary bombs giving them just enough light to see the silhouettes of them.

Malarkey eased himself off the bow and got into the water, about waist deep.

He grabbed the boat and pulled it towards the bank.

Abbey sat on the edge of the boat.

"You our passengers?" Malarkey whispered.

There were many British soldiers, with red berets.

Malarkey and Abbey helped a dozen men onto their boat. Most of them were British Paratroopers, but they also had two American pilots and a British tank Sargent commander from the 7th Armoured Division, who were known as the Rats of Tobruk after their gusty fighting in the sands of North Africa.

They reached the south shore, left the boats and took the escapees over the dike to a facility set up just for them, which Colonel Sink had organized. Inside the farmhouse, was plenty of booze to go around. The night was high, not a single shot was fired from them. The Germans had no idea they had just rescued those trapped across the Rhine.

Everyone had a beer or sorts in their hands.

Colonel Dobey was standing on a platform.

"Wahai, Mohamad!" He cheered.

"Wahai Mohamad!" The British Paras responded.

And then, a British commander stood next to him. "Moose Heyliger, and the American 101st, have done the Red Devils a great service, making it possible for us to return, and fight the enemy another day".

Abbey was a little drunk by this point.

She was leaning against a wooden post, bottle of something in her hands.

Honestly, she had no idea what the stuff she was drinking actually was.

But it was strong, Abbey liked it.

"To Easy Company!" The British commander continued, "victory and Currahee!"

"Currahee!" They all called back.

Abbey took another hard sip.

Their stomachs were almost empty from their diet of apples and what little rations they had left. So, getting drunk was easy. After one bottle of beer, Abbey already felt light. And after drinking this stronger stuff, she couldn't feel the floor beneath her.

She didn't complain.

Abbey liked the feeling.

It was a sense of nothingness.

Abbey felt numb but happy. Light and free. Getting drunk seemed to cure being tense, tired and hungry. It was their escape for one night. They had a party with the British Paratroopers, they drank themselves silly and most of them headed back after a few hours, stumbling back to their billets or foxholes and passing out. Abbey stumbled out of that barn at five in the morning, an empty bottle in her hands.

Rubbing her eyes with her free hand, Abbey leaned against the side of the farmhouse.

She groaned, feeling tired and horribly drunk.

"Private Harrison?"

Abbey had one eye closed, while she looked up towards the voice.

It was Winters.

Clearing her throat, she tried to straighten herself up and give the man a salute.

But that failed.

As soon as she let go of the house, Abbey came tumbling forwards.

Luckily for her, Winters caught her quickly.

He grunted a little, while his hands went under her arms.

Abbey frowned at the ground, letting out a sigh.

"My apologies, sir". She said, voice sounding gritty and sore.

The Captain snorted softly.

"It's alright, trooper".

"I believe I am very drunk". Abbey mumbled, "I need…I need to sleep or something".

Winters caught himself smiling, finding what she said a little amusing.

"Well, I think beds your best option, Abbey". He agreed, "can you make your way back?"

Slowly, he helped her stand.

Abbey swayed a little to the side.

Winters grabbed her arm again.

She gave him a nod, "I am not hurt, sir".

He chuckled quietly.

"That's good, Private".

Winters let go of her arm, Abbey felt steady enough on her feet.

She gave him a lazy and tired smile.

"Very good, sir".

He smiled back, "get some rest, trooper".

Abbey saluted him – correctly, this time.

"Good morning, Captain Winters".

Winters found himself chuckling again.

"Have a good morning, Abbey".


	38. Chapter 37

"You 'wanna hear a scary story?"

Liebgott was met by silence.

"Ah, come on…it's fucking Halloween".

"Is it?" Abbey mumbled, "it does not feel like Halloween".

"What does Halloween even feel like?"

She shrugged and leaned back, "well…it feels like hard-boiled sweets and monkey nuts".

Liebgott didn't know whether to laugh or feel slightly disturbed.

"Abbey, what the fuck-"

"you place the monkey nuts and apples into a bucket of water". She continued, "you place your hands behind your back and your head goes into the water, where you then try to catch the apples or monkey nuts into your mouth. The best tactic is to use your teeth". Abbey said, "you can easily bite into an apple that way".

Blinking, Liebgott looked away from her.

"Could have just said bobbing for apples, Abbey".

The pair of them were on outpost that night, some metres away from the 2nd Platoon CP, which was a barn west of the railroad track. So far, it was a quiet night. However, it didn't make it any less tense. 2nd Platoon was down to two dozen men. There was more than a two hundred metre gap between each outpost. It was easy for German patrols to penetrate their line after dark.

It was getting colder as they neared winter.

Abbey had her hand resting on the machine-gun, Liebgott was looking through the binoculars. She yawned, one hand covering her mouth to muffle the noise. And a few seconds after, Liebgott yawned.

"That shits contagious". He mumbled, "I ain't even that tired".

Abbey snorted.

"Stop lying, Lieb. We're all extremely tired".

And the strange part was, no one ever complained about being tired.

No one complained about anything.

If they did, Guarnere would give them hell for it.

_"You 'wanna die? Quit complaining, just do your fucking job". _

That poor replacement looked embarrassed. But he never complained again.

Guarnere was still in the hospital but still, they never once complained.

"Do you know why yawns are so contagious?" Abbey asked him.

Liebgott shook his head, "enlighten me, Abbey".

"They believe that yawning indicates empathy. It indicates an appreciation of other people's behavioural and phycological state". She told him quietly, "the doctor told my mother that. So, whenever she or my dad yawned, they'd look at me to see if I'd do the same".

He looked at her, "and did you?"

Abbey frowned, "of course, I am not a monster".

Liebgott grinned and faced the front again.

"That's a relief, Abbey. Don't 'wanna be sitting with a fucking monster".

_** Bap! Bap! Bap! **_

Three quick and short shots were fired out, further down the road.

Abbey took hold of the machine-gun, following the noise.

Liebgott tried to see what was happening through the binoculars.

"Anything?" She asked quietly.

"Nope".

"Patrol?"

"That was our rifle". Liebgott mumbled, "maybe someone saw something?"

Abbey bit her lip, "what do we do, Lieb?"

"Someone's coming up – it's one of ours".

He lowered the binoculars and got out of the outpost.

The replacement was running up the road, panting and looking close to tears.

Liebgott grabbed his arm, the boy let out a yelp.

"Hey – why the fuck are you running?"

The panting replacement shook his head.

"I killed them!"

Abbey frowned and got out of the outpost.

She recognised him; he was from Grant's squad.

Liebgott pulled a face, "who?"

"L-Lieutenant Heyliger…and Captain Winters".

Very slowly, their faces dropped.

Anger bubbled away in their stomachs.

Abbey reached into the outpost and grabbed her rifle.

"Get Welsh". She muttered, "I'll go and see them".

For all she knew, Abbey was about to walk into the most devastating and heart-breaking scene. Losing two officers', she couldn't think of anything worse. Abbey tried to prepare herself for the worst-case scenario. And when she neared them, Abbey saw Winters sitting by Heyliger's side. Abbey picked up into a run and raced down the road towards them.

Winters grabbed his rifle, when he heard the noise.

"Me, sir!" Abbey assured him.

His rifle dropped.

She reached their side and got down on her knees.

Heyliger had been hit on the shoulder and had a bad wound on his left calf.

Abbey brought out the bandage from her aid kit.

Winters was already bandaging up his calf, Abbey made a start on his shoulder.

The Lieutenant was moaning still.

The moans were weak, but he sounded to be in a great deal of pain.

Frowning, she looked at Heyliger's face and opened his eyes.

"No morphine, sir?"

Winters shook his head, "not yet".

Rubbing her lips tougher, she took out her morphine and injected it into him.

"It's okay, sir". Abbey mumbled to their wounded CO, "you will feel better soon".

Heyliger was losing a lot of blood.

Abbey was worried he wouldn't make it.

But she felt relief when Welsh, Toye, Grant and Liebgott showed up.

They set about trying to control the bleeding and gave Heyliger more shots of morphine. Abbey and Liebgott were ordered to go back to their outpost by Toye.

"We'll carry him up". He told them, "good job".

Safe to say, that night took an unexpected turn.

…

As soon as Heyliger left, a new Lieutenant took charge of Easy.

1st Lieutenant Norman Dike.

Dike was from Division HQ, a stiff-military career type and completely inexperienced in combat. They learned right away that Dike wasn't a soldier, let alone a good leader. They started calling him Foxhole Norman because whenever there was any action, Dike wasn't around.

Easy were in a static position and did night patrols.

2nd Platoon stayed in an old farmhouse, surrounded by lots of elements.

The farmhouse was run down, missing half a roof but it did them just fine.

One night, Winters wanted Abbey, Malarkey, Jackson and Bain to go into the woods for a good part of the night to see if they could detect any enemy movement on the railroad. The way they did this was dig up a foxhole, stay low and keep their eyes open.

It always rained in Holland.

They were missing their half-roofed house.

It was a quiet night; they weren't supposed to be talking.

Nights were getting bitingly colder now; Abbey had her hands stuffed into her pockets. Her coat was zipped all the way up, where she buried her mouth and chin underneath to keep warm. But all was quiet, the four of them didn't make a sound. When all of a sudden, mortar shells started hitting a near by elm tree.

"Shit!"

"Get down!"

The four of them got down quickly.

One of the trees fell and covered their foxhole.

The radio squawked.

"What's going on?" Came Winters voice.

Malarkey picked up the radio.

"Mortars!" He yelled.

"Get back here now, Malark. No fooling around".

He put the radio down and helped attach it to Bain's back.

Abbey still had her ears covered, while her body covered Jackson's back.

"How do we escape, Malark?!" She asked loudly.

The Sargent looked around, until he caught a small opening the tree had left.

Bringing out his shovel, he started to widen the opening.

All the while, mortars continued to blast around their area.

Abbey moved off Jackson and brought out her trench tool.

She reached Malarkey's side and helped him out.

"Once we're out, we 'gotta stay low and run!" He warned her.

Abbey nodded.

"Okay!"

"Put Bain in front!" Malarkey said, "the radio will drag him down, we 'gotta get him out first!"

"Yes, of course!"

But before Bain got out, Malarkey slid out from the foxhole and helped everyone else.

It took both Jackson and Abbey to get Bain out.

Once the four of them were lying on the ground, Bain moved forward first, with Malarkey behind him, Jackson was next, and Abbey was at the back. Her heart was racing while they crawled through the mud to exit the forest. Thankfully, it wasn't a massive forest, but it felt like they'd never reach the end.

There was a bit of barbed wire they'd usually climb over but this time around, they had to stay low and go under it. Bain got out just fine, as did Malarkey and Jackson, but Abbey's trousers got stuck and tangled up in the wire. She tried yanking herself free, but it didn't work.

"Jack!" She yelled.

Abbey didn't know how he had heard her, but Jackson did.

He turned around and crawled over to her quickly.

"I'm stuck!"

Jackson offered her a smile, "it's okay, I'll get you out!"

** Boom! Boom! Boom! **

Abbey didn't think the Germans were short on shells.

Another tree fell down behind them.

Jackson was next to her leg and brought out his bayonet.

More shells fell around them in the forest, while he was cutting her free.

Abbey was biting down on her lip and watching him.

She shook her head, "just go, Jack!"

Jackson didn't respond.

Abbey frowned, "Jack! It's okay-"

"Abbey, shut up!" Jackson snapped, "I'm not leaving you!"

"We are no use to this Company if we both die!"

"Abbey, if I turn up without you – then I will die!"

Jackson ended up cutting a small chunk of her trouser leg off.

But Abbey was free.

"Besides!" He added, "you're my friend – I'd never leave you!"

Her face softened into a small smile.

"I'm glad I saved you from that river in camp, Jack!"

He grinned, "me too, Abbey!"

Jackson crawled up to her.

"Let's go, Abbey!"

She nodded and they resumed crawling under the barbed wire.

The shells continued to fire into the forest, and they moved quicker.

Once they reached the end of the forest, they got onto their feet and took off into a run. Sprinting down the dike, Abbey thought she might take off and start flying. Jackson had this wide grin on his face, he was smiling because they had escaped death and his adrenaline was going crazy. When they reached the bottom of the dike, they stopped running and the sounds from the shells were muffled slightly.

Abbey, breathing heavily, gave Jackson's arm a nudge.

"Thank you, Jack".

Still grinning, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

The pair of them made their way back into the farmhouse.

Malarkey and Bain were going over things with Winters.

Toye ran straight over to them.

"Where the hell have you both been?!"

Jackson looked at Abbey.

"Abbey got stuck, I got her out and we ran here".

The Sargent's tense shoulders dropped.

He looked at her, eyeing Abbey carefully, checking for any injuries.

"You good?"

She nodded.

"Yes. I am not hurt".

A few of the men were sleeping.

Grant's squad was passed out in the corner of the farmhouse.

But Toye's squad was still up, to wait for the arrival of Jackson and Abbey.

She sat down and wrapped her blanket around her body.

Abbey was close to a window shaped opening, where she could look out and keep watch. Beside her, Nelson, Jackson and Liebgott slept soundly. It was reaching stupid-o'clock in the morning. That time where it was too early to wake up but too late to sleep.

Near the front of the house, Toye was talking with Malarkey.

The pair of them walked over to Abbey a few minutes later and sat next to her.

"We think the Krauts had some sort of listening device planted, which picked up the sound coming from our radio". Malarkey told her quietly, "that's why they shelled us".

"We ain't taking no more risks". Toye added, "we'll use telephones for each OP now".

She nodded a little.

That was a good idea.

"How long are we to stay here?" Abbey wondered quietly, "it feels never ending".

"We're not sure". Toye said to her, "maybe another month?"

She frowned.

"Do you realise, there are only ninety-eight officers and enlisted men left from our Company". Abbey said to them quietly, "we jumped in with one hundred and fifty-four. Forty-five enlisted men have been wounded; four officers have been wounded. One was taken off the line from sticking his head in the sand. And we've lost six men".

Malarkey and Toye didn't know what to say.

Abbey rubbed her lips together and looked out of the opening again.

"I overheard Lipton talking with Dike".

She then sighed quietly.

"I hope our next destination is kinder on us".

…

The best feeling in the world was a hot shower.

Abbey stood under the warm water, watching all the mud, sweat and blood leave her body and rush down the drain. It was such a satisfying feeling, knowing that her body was clean once again, after over sixty days of not having a shower. And hanging over the door was a clean and fresh uniform. Poking out from the front pocket was the Edelweiss. Whoever had done the laundry obviously knew Abbey's attachment to the white flower.

Turning the taps off, Abbey grabbed the towel.

She let her hair down to dry and put on her clean uniform.

Leaving the showers, Abbey felt like a new person.

Now, came another great part of their day.

A hot meal.

Mourmelon-Le-Grand was proving to be an excellent camp.

There, the men could rest, recover and refit the Company.

The majority of the men had just been looking forward to those showers and sleeping in a proper bed, inside a warm and heated barrack for the first time in a over sixty days. The meal was chicken, vegetables and potatoes. The men ate every last bite and headed off to bed once their stomachs were full and happy.

The NCO's had their own barracks.

So, Abbey shared a barrack with Heffron, Jackson, Al Vitore, Jim McMahon, Liebgott and guys from Grant's squad. They were getting new replacements soon enough, guys who were eighteen or nineteen-years-old and as green as Spring grass. But word went around that they wouldn't be seeing any action until March next year, so, they could relax a little and enjoy the time they had left in this camp.

Over the first three days, Easy did drills and inspections.

Getting back into garrison life came quickly.

On day four, the 30th of November, after some breakfast they were in their barracks and cleaning their gear. It was just like back in Aldbourne, polishing their shoes, buckles, jump wings and stars. Abbey was on her bed, while Heffron sorted out the radio to find a decent channel. The mood was relaxed, the soldiers cleaned their gear, smoked their cigarettes and had conversations on light topics.

The door opened; Vest stepped inside.

"Mail!"

Everything was dropped.

The radio was cut off from a German station and they all rushed towards Vest, who was holding their letters from home. He gave them a nervous sort of smile, while he read each name and gave the letter to that man. They were all very eager to get a letter from home. And the morale had reached one hundred percent because of this.

Abbey stayed on her bed.

She wasn't expecting a letter.

But she was mistaken.

"Abbey!" Vest called out her name.

Dropping her boots, she got onto her feet and walked over to him.

Vest gave her the letter and this time, she smiled.

"Thank you".

He smiled back, "you're welcome, Abbey".

Letter in her hand, Abbey sat back down on her bed.

Carefully opening the envelope and then pressed the letter onto her lap, very neatly and immediately felt her stomach churn. Because this letter wasn't from her parents. It was from Anna, Harry's mum.

_ "Abbey, _

_ This should reach you by October, if not, I hope it reaches you soon. _

_ It wasn't hard to track you down, there aren't any other females in the 101st Airborne Division. I did receive word that you might be too busy to respond, however, seeing as you have already left to fight once again. I know you don't remember me an awful lot, but you were extremely close with my Harry and his father. And seeing you again, was a very surreal experience for the both of us. I do hope you are feeling okay. _

_ I managed to track down what happened with your parents. Your dad lost his job and they couldn't pay the rent. The landlord told them they had three days to leave, after they couldn't afford to pay the bills after so many months. So, they left in the middle of the night, packed up and headed for the country to see your relatives with your siblings. I let them borrow my brother's car for their journey, he will pick it up within a few weeks. _

_ Abbey, there is no easy way to tell you this. But your parents didn't want you to know of their whereabouts. For whatever reasons, they wish to keep this information from you. But I had to let you know, because I could have never withheld information from Harry if he was still with me. I'm not sure if you and your parents had a falling-out before you left but I think they will eventually write to you, once things have settled down-"_

Abbey stopped reading.

Her eyes left the letter and she stared at the wall.

It didn't make any sense to her.

Why wouldn't her parents just let her know?

And worse yet, she had no idea where her relatives lived.

So, Abbey couldn't write to them, to see how they were getting on.

Sighing, she let the letter fall on the ground, while she lay down on her bed.

Staring up at the ceiling, Abbey tried not to overthink this.

Maybe her parents didn't want her to worry?

Or, maybe they just had enough of her.


	39. Chapter 38

_Blinding her eyes was the bright and yellow sun. _

_ Around her, was soft grass and happy laughter. _

_ Their voices were light, filled with brightness and cheer. Celebration was at a high, everyone around her was singing and eating a large amount of food. It was the happiest day of Abbey's life, she couldn't wipe the grin off her face and though the sun shone down on her, her eyes never squinted from the light. _

_ Sitting up, Abbey turned towards the noise. _

_ There, her family were gathered around a large garden table. _

_ Her dad was putting down plates of potatoes, fried chicken and spaghetti. _

_ Her little brothers and sister were all running around, giggling gleefully. _

_ And her mother was sitting down, nursing Stewart. _

_ Behind them, was a large house. _

_ Abbey got up and looked up at their house. _

_ On the second floor, she could see her bedroom window – which was left open. _

_ The weather was so warm, Abbey had to keep it open. _

_ A plane sounded from the sky, she looked up. _

_ It was a C-47. _

_ Grinning still, Abbey waved towards the plane and it dipped it's wing. _

_ Laughing, she lowered her head and walked towards the table. _

_ Abbey stood by her mum, smiling at Stewart. _

_ "Hello, mum". _

_ Her mother smiled and kissed the top of Stewart's head._

_ "Oh…aren't you a hungry baby?" She cooed. _

_ Abbey smiled and placed her hand on the back of her mum's chair. _

_ "Come and eat!" Mathew called for the other children, "come on! Before it gets cold!"_

_ The children all made their way back towards the table and sat down. _

_ A spot was left open for Abbey. _

_ Pulling out the chair, she sat herself down. _

_ "You got so big, Lucy". Abbey whispered, when she saw how tall her little sister looked._

_ Harold and Peter were a lot bigger too. _

_ Helen carefully sat Stewart down in his pram. _

_ Everyone started to grab some food. _

_ Abbey just sat there, admiring her family. _

_ She had missed them. _

_ It felt good to be home. _

_ Mathew cleared his throat, "we got another letter". _

_ Helen sighed, "I wish it would just stop, Mathew". _

_ "I know, dear". He mumbled, "I'm sure it will one day". _

_ "Is it from that strange girl, daddy?" Lucy asked him, "the one who won't leave us alone?" _

_ A sad look crossed his eyes. _

_ "That's right, Lucy". He whispered, "but you should all respect our wishes. Please, ask no further questions". _

_ Abbey frowned. _

_ Who? _

_ "Who is it, dad?" She asked. _

_ But Mathew didn't respond. _

_ In fact, he didn't even acknowledge Abbey. _

_ Which heightened her worries. _

_ "Dad?" Abbey mumbled, "why are you ignoring me?" _

_ "I want to take Stewart for a walk". Peter said, "I can take him to see the swans, mum". _

_ Helen smiled, "of course, love". _

_ "Mum?" Abbey asked, looking towards Helen. _

_ She waved her hand. _

_ But Helen didn't bat an eyelid. _

_ "Mum?!" Abbey yelled. _

_ Nothing. _

_ In fact, they started laughing at something Peter had said. _

_ Abbey got up from the chair, looking scared and frustrated. _

_ "Why are you – stop ignoring me!" _

_ "Oh – could you pick up more sugar?" Helen asked Mathew, "before the shop closes?" _

_ "I will, Helen". He complied. _

_ "Can I come too, dad?" Harold asked, "I want a sweetie"._

_ Both parents laughed. _

_ "Oh, Harold". Helen said with a smile, "you always want a sweetie". _

_ Abbey grabbed the sides of her head. _

_ Her eyes went wide, while her fingers twisted into her hair._

_ The happy family started to laugh. _

_ They were laughing so hard and loud, it hurt Abbey's ears. _

_ Tears formed in their eyes, they struggled to catch their next breath. _

_ Abbey screamed. _

_ Both of her hands crashed onto the table. _

_ The laughter stopped. _

_ Very suddenly. _

_ The sun vanished behind dark and stormy rain clouds. _

_ And all eyes landed on Abbey. _

_ Slowly, her hands fell from her head. _

_ She didn't look frustrated anymore – she looked terrified. _

_ Helen got up. _

_ "You shouldn't be here…". _

_ Abbey shook her head. _

_ "I'm your – it's Abbey". She whispered. _

_ Helen closed the distance between them. _

_ "GET OUT OF HERE!" _

_ She pushed Abbey away and she fell down into a dark and deep tunnel. _

…

Abbey let out a yelp when she landed on the floor.

Her blanket was tangled around her sweaty body.

And her hair stuck to her forehead and cheeks.

Taking in a deep breath, Abbey pushed her hair away from her sticky face and opened her eyes. The light had been turned on; she must have woken up her friends when she fell out of bed. Or maybe, she was screaming in real life. Abby didn't know but carefully and slowly sat up, seeing a few concerned faces looking her way.

Licking her bottom lip, Abbey wiped the sweat off her forehead.

"Abbey-"

"fine". She mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck. "I am not hurt".

She grabbed the mattress and pulled herself up.

Once on her feet, Abbey sat on the edge of her bed.

"Well…it's almost time to get up anyway". Jackson pointed out lightly, "so, that's good – right?"

The others were quiet for a few moments.

Until he nudged Heffron's side.

"Yeah – that's great!" He commented, "great news".

Sighing, Liebgott rolled his eyes at the pair of them.

He was soon sitting next to Abbey, who was staring at her hands.

"You 'wanna talk about that Bilbo fella?"

Abbey's lips twitched.

Creating a half smile.

She looked at Liebgott, shaking her head.

He smiled back at her, "really? Love hearing about that little guy".

"He can't help it". Abbey mumbled, "he was born a Hobbit".

Liebgott placed his hand on her shoulder.

"You good, Abbey?" He murmured.

Abbey looked back at her hands.

_ It didn't really matter. _

"Yes. I'm fine". She whispered, "I was falling out of a plane in my dream".

The best thing for her to do, was just forget about it.

And that's exactly what Abbey did.

…

A few days after Guarnere and Buck returned to Easy, most of the men were inside one of the theatres, watching a John Wayne movie. They usually put on a show every other weekend, it depended if they could get their hands on one. They were lucky this weekend, they had John Wayne to watch. The men sat back, smoked their cigarettes and watched the movie.

Buck was sitting alone, near the front.

No one was sitting around him.

It was the oddest thing.

Abbey was slightly confused when she walked in, halfway through the movie.

Her friends didn't seem to notice her entering, so, Abbey walked up to the front and sat herself down, leaving one seat between herself and the Lieutenant. Buck didn't acknowledge her, which Abbey wasn't bothered about, he was engrossed in the movie. And she was staring up at the screen as well, blankly looking at John Wayne's face.

She tilted her head to the side.

And Abbey wondered; what was all the fuss about?

Maybe the girls liked him because he was so famous.

That's all Abbey could think about for the first five or so minutes. And she was vaguely aware that Toye was telling a few guys to, "shut up". Looking away from the screen, her eyes landed on Buck. He had been quiet since arriving back to Easy but nothing totally out of character. Their Platoon Sargent seemed to be fine, Guarnere was happy to see everyone was doing okay.

"Jesus!" Perconte exclaimed at something.

Toye and Lipton were quick to shut them both up.

Abbey's eyebrows twitched.

She wondered what was going on.

But figured it had something to do with money. Malarkey was playing craps last she heard. Abbey looked back at the screen. She placed her boot on the edge of her seat, chin soon resting on her knee.

_ "I don't think that climate in there agrees with you. As a matter of fact, I've been worried about your health altogether"._ John Wayne was telling the female.

"Hey, Buck".

Abbey jumped a little.

Turning her head, she saw Winters sitting behind Buck.

_ "You don't look well". _

"How are you feeling?" Winters asked him lightly, "your wounds heal, all four of them?"

Abbey rubbed her lips together, while she watched the pair of them closely.

Buck still seemed focused on the screen.

And a moment of silence passed them.

"You seen this before?" Winters asked him.

But the 1st Lieutenant still didn't respond.

Winters eyes moved away from the screen and towards the side of Buck's face.

He gave him a nudge, "Buck".

Buck turned his head to face him.

And then faced the screen again, "hi". He greeted quietly.

"Is it any good?" Winters asked.

"Eh – yeah…it's a real corker".

Abbey frowned.

That wasn't like Buck at all.

Winters slowly leaned back against his chair.

Usually, Buck would be the one joining in on all the fun. He would have been gambling with Malarkey or laughing along with Luz, while he continued to piss off Toye and Lipton. But their Lieutenant was quiet, staring blankly at the screen, with the Captain's words falling onto deaf ears.

Abbey was so focused on Buck; she almost didn't hear a few officers call for the lights to come on. She blinked out of her thoughts, when the dark theatre was lit up. A few of the men grumbled and mumbled; they had been enjoying that film.

But Abbey's eyes wondered towards the officers, who were standing in front of the screen.

"Elements of the 1st and 6th SS Panzer Division have broken through into the Ardennes forest. Now, they've overrun the 28th Infantry and elements of the 4th. All officers' reports to respective HQ's. All passes are cancelled".

"No-"

"come on!"

The men complained, while the two officers made their way down the theatre.

"Enlisted men report to barracks and your Platoon leaders!" One of them added.

No football game on Christmas.

And no New Year's Day in Paris.

Biting down on her lip, her eyes moved towards the screen.

It was blank now; the movie had been turned off.

Her foot was pressed back down on the floor.

Abbey rubbed the back of her neck.

This wasn't going to be good. They hadn't been issued with winter clothing, new boots, rations and more importantly, ammunition or aid kits. They were going back out more vulnerable to the elements and the enemy. It was December, the weather was cold, temperatures dropped during the night and they were greeted with frost and ice every morning.

The theatre was left almost empty.

Abbey got up from the chair and noticed Buck was still sitting.

Winters was standing, waiting for him.

She looked over at her Platoon leader.

They couldn't do this without him.

"Sir?" Abbey whispered.

Buck followed the sound of her voice.

And his light eyes softened, ever so slightly.

She gave him a tiny and short smile.

"What do we do now, sir?"

Buck got onto his feet.

His hand went on her shoulder, "let's grab what we can".

And that's exactly what they all did.

Nothing had been re-supplied and everyone was rushing around, trying to find spare socks, clothes and ammo. Abbey only had what was on her and nothing in her aid kit, just one bandage. Though, Heffron did hand her another pair of socks he had found. Getting another pair of socks was very important for him, he had lost a pair in Holland.

It was very cold and rushed that night.

Abbey was walking with Toye and Nelson.

They didn't find anything.

Toye was angry.

"Nothing – fucking Christ". He muttered, "we're 'gonna freeze out there".

"Why the hell are we heading out there anyway?" Nelson quietly raged, "Infantry got a problem? Yeah – just send the fucking Airborne to help out, huh? This ain't our damn problem".

Abbey frowned, "it is". She mumbled.

Nelson looked at her.

She shrugged, "or…it is now. So, we just have to stop it".

He turned to face the front again.

"One shitstorm at a time, Nelly". Abbey reminded him.

Nelson snorted at that.

"Nah – you're right, Abbey". He ended it with a sigh, "here we go again, huh?"

It took them twenty-four hours to pack everything up.

Which wasn't a lot of time, given they had to move many men out.

Abbey was tired, just like everyone else.

The night had been a great disappointed, with having nothing else to carry. But the trucks arrived, taking them where they were needed most. They were in small trucks and they all had to shove themselves in and sit on the cold ground. The men were packed in like sardines. Abbey was squished next to Toye and Jackson. A few replacements were on the same truck and that thought gave her the fear. These boys, they were so green and new to combat. She didn't even know the names of these new replacements – Abbey didn't want to know their names, not this time around. Not after losing Jim Campbell.

The trucks left Mourmelon, racing down the road with their headlights on.

A cold breeze blew in from the opening of the truck.

Abbey wrapped her arms around herself.

"I guess the blackouts not in effect. Luftwaffe must be asleep". Buck pointed out.

No one seemed to be concerned about the trucks having their lights on.

"What a different a day makes, huh, Lieutenant?" Ramirez said, trying to lighten the mood.

Abbey knew that was a song. She had heard it before on the radio.

Toye might have started singing it but he looked too cold.

The trucks were bouncing up and down.

Hitting pothole, after pothole.

The roads were in terrible conditions.

"Christ, I miss those C-47's". Guarnere grumbled, as if speaking for everyone else.

"We've got a tailgate jump here". Talbert joked.

One of the replacements sparked up his lighter, the flame hovered in front of Popeye's cigarette.

"I just 'wanna know where they're sending us, what the hell we're supposed to do with no ammo". Heffron rushed out. And he wasn't the only one feeling vulnerable with their lack of ammo.

"Hey, kid, what's your name again?" Guarnere asked the replacement, who had finished lighting up Popeye's cigarette.

"Suerth". He replied, "Suerth Junior".

"You got any ammo, Junior?" Heffron asked.

"Er – just what I'm carrying".

"What about socks, Junior?" Toye asked, "you got extra socks?"

Suerth looked towards him, "a pair".

"You need four, minimum". Skip told him, "feet, hands, neck, balls-"

"extra socks warm's them all". Everyone finished.

"Okay, we all remember that one!" Skip said brightly. "But did we remember the socks?"

"I'd give my Goddamn boots for a cigarette". Guarnere mumbled.

Poor Suerth.

He was getting asked by everyone if he had an extra something.

"What about a coat? You got a coat?" Liebgott asked.

Luckily for them, Suerth had some cigarettes.

He handed them the packet and they all shared them out.

Abbey looked down at her hands.

They were already freezing up, and they were inside a truck.

Clenching them both into fists, she stretched them out again.

Her head knocked against the side of the truck.

She turned her head and looked up; Buck was sitting by the opening and Guarnere was opposite him. It felt like the journey would never end because they had no idea where they were going and that was the scary part about it all. Driving into the unknown during the night.

It was crazy.

Abbey tried to get comfortable.

But each bump knocked her about.

She closed her eyes, hoping to find some sleep among all this madness. However, soon enough, the trucks all veered and stopped at the side of a road and people were shouting to get out. It took a few moments, but everyone was soon out of the trucks. They smoked, emptied their bladders and lit up fires, using petrol and a whole pack of matches.

Abbey moved towards one of the trucks.

Heffron was trying to light a cigarette but his hands were shaking too much.

Taking his lighter, Abbey managed to light it up after a few attempts and the flame hovered by his cigarette. Once it was lit, Heffron took in a drag.

"Thanks, Abbey".

Nodding, she stuffed her hands into her pockets.

She buried her chin and mouth into her jacket.

Her eyes landed on the small road in front of her, where she then saw a man walking in the opposite direction. He had this huge bandage covering his face but left a gap for his eyes, nostrils and mouth. Frowning, she took a step forwards and saw many more walking behind him.

_ Walking wounded. _

"Jesus Christ". Heffron whispered.

But what grabbed her attention was the ammo the walking wounded were carrying.

These men were American, and they were retreating.

Abbey grabbed one of the guys arms, pulling him to a stop.

"Give me your ammo". She told him.

Giving her a tiny nod, he gave her a few clips for her M1.

Abbey stashed them into her pockets.

"Aid kit? Rations?" She asked.

"Take it all". The guy whispered, "you're 'gonna die out there".

Abbey looked at him for a few moments.

He had an aid kit in his hands.

She took it from him.

Abbey gave his shoulder a gentle push forward.

"Babe – get what you can from these guys". She told Heffron, "they're not using it".

Soon, everyone was grabbing what they could from these guys.

Abbey managed to get herself a scarf, ammo and fingerless gloves.

She didn't get any rations, but that first guy had a full aid kit.

They all shared out the ammo and what other supplies they had.

And if by some miracle, a Lieutenant came by with a truck full of ammo.

It wasn't enough to supply all of Easy, but it was much better than what they had to begin with. They got lucky with the retreating men and the Lieutenant. And soon enough, they were all called to move out.

Word got around of what was going on.

They were to defend the crossroads in the town of Bastogne. It was important for the allies to hold the seven roads leading in and out, because the Germans could use those roads to secure Antwerp, which had a huge seaport into Germany.

In their columns now, they marched forwards.

Outside Bastogne, headed northeast, the sound of artillery fire increased. Abbey could see the flashes in the sky and loud booms of heavy weaponry. It was hard to look away, that was some serious fire power, almost like back in Veghel.

And eventually, they passed through the town.

Bastogne was probably a lovely place.

Before the war, it would look picturesque and an ideal place to live.

Now, it was completely destroyed and left in despair.

After passing through the town, they moved further towards Foy.

The sound of battle was greater than ever.

1st Battalion of the 506th were up ahead, in Noville, involved in a furious fight. Colonel Sink decided to push 3rd Battalion towards Foy and use his 2nd Battalion to protect 3rd's right flank. Easy went into the area of the woods and open fields, it's left on the east side of the Bastogne-Foy-Noville road. Fox Company was to Easy's right, Dog was in reserve.

They set up their MLR (main line of resistance) a few metres inside of the woods, with outposts on the edge. Winters set up Battalion HQ just behind Easy on the south edge of the woods.

They were told to sit in and hold the line.

No one wanted to retreat.

They wouldn't leave until they finished their job.

Toye had his squad busy digging themselves in.

It was very difficult to dig into frozen mud.

Their foxholes would need to be chipped away at for a few more days to get it just right.

But for that first night, it was peaceful.

Though, they knew the Germans were coming.

The Bois Jacques woods was a quiet and safe haven for that night.

They completed the MLR, they got into their foxholes and embraced the cold.


	40. Chapter 39

It was like waking up inside a cloud.

The fog was so thick.

When Abbey woke up, it was like she had been shocked with electricity. Never in her life, had she ever been so cold before. She was surprised she had survived the night. Abbey had her blanket wrapped around her tightly, she gave her toes a little wriggle and couldn't feel a thing.

Her teeth started chattering.

At first, she wasn't expecting it and managed to bite her tongue.

Abbey sat up slowly, giving her limbs a chance to wake up.

All she could see was white mist.

She had never seen anything like it before. Not even when the fog hit the Albert docks. This was unreal, almost like she was in some sort of dream. She buried her hands into her jacket pockets, and moved them around, trying to warm them up.

"Can you believe this?" Nelson whispered.

He had woken up a few minutes before Abbey.

And he was sitting on the edge of their foxhole, taking everything in.

Abbey shook her head.

"Looks like it could snow". He said. "What do you think?"

She looked up.

"I don't know". Abbey mumbled, "I can't see the sky".

Nelson huffed out a short laugh.

"Yeah…guess you're right, Abbey".

Putting her blanket into her bag, she then climbed up and sat down next to Nelson.

"You know what Joe told me". Nelson said, "he said, the Krauts still have the higher ground. And they're hiding out in houses and churches. They have fucking shelter, Abbey".

Rubbing her lips together, Abbey looked towards the trees.

"We have pine trees".

He snorted, "oh, that's great, Abbey…we don't need houses, huh? We've got fucking trees".

Raising an eyebrow, she looked back at him.

Nelson sighed, "sorry…I know you hate sarcasm".

Placing her hands onto the ground, Abbey pushed herself onto her feet.

Nelson followed suit.

The pair of them looked around, noting that a few feet away from them, Jackson and Al were sitting by their foxholes and sorting out their ammo. Nelson took the first step towards them, Abbey followed in behind. They sat down with their friends and it was good to see that the cold hadn't frozen them in their sleep.

"What we doing today, Nelly?" Jackson asked their Corporal.

"I haven't seen Joe yet". He replied, "guess they'll want patrols to scout out the area".

"It's not a bad idea". Al pointed out, "best to keep moving and get warm, huh?"

Jackson smirked, "warm? In this? Man, it's like we're sitting in a freezer".

Malarkey poked his head up from his foxhole.

He was sitting behind them with Bain.

"Hey, what's going on?" Malarkey asked, "where's Bill?"

Nelson looked over his shoulder, towards them.

"At our CP, probably". He answered, "you seen Joe?"

Malarkey shook his head, "I can barely see you guys".

Abbey looked towards the field.

She couldn't see anything.

The town of Foy was blinded by the fog.

"The Krauts have a bead on us". She mumbled, "we shouldn't bunch up".

"You think they can see us through this shit, Abbey?" Al asked, "come on, we can't see them".

"They have the higher ground". Jackson said, "she's right".

"Get your foxholes in order". Nelson told them, "we'll find Joe – come on, Abbey".

Toye was with Buck, Bill and Grant.

Like Nelson had said, they were getting patrols organized.

The line was stretched out, with many gaps in between. The fog wasn't helping either, Germans could easily get into their line. That was Abbey's main concern, the enemy getting into their lines and wiping everyone out. So, patrols were so important. They had to close those gaps.

On that first day, everyone was sending out patrols to see what was going on. And then word got back that 1st Battalion and Team Desobry pulled back from Noville and went into reserve. Easy awaited an attack that did not happen. They expected an infantry attack but that didn't happen, instead, they underwent mortar and artillery bombardments. The Germans shelled them with Screaming Minis, which was six rockets tied together. They'd shoot the rockets, which would scream and pierce your ears.

They first shelled them during the night.

Abbey was in the foxhole with Nelson.

First, there came this horrible scream and then, came the explosion.

It was extremely powerful. The whole world must have felt that. Everything wobbled and shook. Mud spewed up from the earth, men were screaming for medics and the Germans hit them so hard that night, that no one slept. It was horrible, a living nightmare. All they could do was sit and take it. Abbey and Nelson were both holding onto each other for dear life, while everything around them blew up in a giant wave of power.

And then it would end.

Everything would be so quiet.

But no one dared move.

The first guys up were the Sargent's.

They'd be running around, checking in on their squads.

Buck would be out there too, making sure everyone was staying low.

You always had to be aware that the Germans would strike again.

Nelson had his hands on Abbey's shoulders.

Giving her a little shake, she looked at him.

"Can you hear me?"

After a few moments, Abbey nodded.

Nelson gave her a tiny smile, "good – we're okay".

Abbey slowly looked over the edge of the foxhole.

There was no limbs, blood or dead bodies from that first blast.

But she could see a lot of pale and terrified faces.

"I have to check in on-"

"wait". Abbey mumbled, grabbing his arm.

Nelson frowned, "Abbey, I need to check with Joe and the rest".

"Nelly, just wait". She said, "please, a few more minutes".

He didn't know if she was scared of being alone, another attack or him getting hurt.

But Nelson stayed by her side.

"Sure thing, Abbey". He assured her, "huh? We'll just stay low for now".

"This is shitty". She whispered, "pine trees are useless if they carry on blowing them up".

He placed his hand on her should again.

"Nah, you were right, Abbey". Nelson said, "our trees are fine".

Of course, Nelson was lying.

They were screwed. But they had to hold the line.

"Why don't you get some sleep?" He suggested, "I don't think we're going anywhere".

Abbey shook her head.

"No. I am too alert to sleep".

"Alright". Nelson said, "let's just relax a bit, huh?"

Eyebrows twitching, she looked at him.

"Relax? In this-"

"incoming! Get down!"

…

The next morning brought soft and dry snow.

It went up to twelve inches by the late morning, the weather was well below freezing now. It was the coldest the men had ever been. Abbey didn't sleep that night, the Germans shelled them constantly. No one got any sleep. It was cold, everyone was in a horrible mood. The Sargent's started to organize patrols again, men went off to find a fresh source of water, while others chipped away at their foxholes.

Abbey was sitting on outpost.

Her hands were under her armpits, shoulders hiked up to her ears.

Abbey sat there, shivering and stared out towards the field.

She couldn't make out the enemy, not in this fog and snow.

But they always needed someone on watch.

Toye would send another guy to relieve her in two hours.

For the time being, Abbey just had to keep her eyes open and stay alert.

Footsteps approached her.

Abbey looked over her shoulder and saw a quick and crouched figure moving towards her. Turning back around again, she faced the field, while their medic, Roe, got in beside her. She wasn't surprised by his visit; the medics had been checking up on everyone. They had to make sure all the men were drying their socks and they had to look out for other injuries caused by the weather, not just shells, bullets and shrapnel.

"Keeping warm?" Roe asked, in his low and soft Louisianan accent.

Abbey frowned a little.

_ What even was warm, anymore? _

"I'm okay". She responded quietly, "how are you?"

The medic's lips formed a small smile.

"Fine". He replied, "um…I'm looking for morphine – you got any? We're running low".

Abbey placed her rife to the side and reached into her webbing.

She brought out her aid kit and the aid kit from that retreating soldier.

Opening up hers, she only had a bandage left but that man had his morphine.

Abbey gave the aid kits to Roe, who took them with another gentle smile.

And then, a twig snapped.

Quickly, she grabbed her rifle and pushed the medic down.

Abbey moved towards the left side of the OP and placed her rifle on the edge, staring into her sight. Another twig snapped and her finger gently rested against the trigger. Then, the bush moved. Abbey bit down on her lip, waiting to see who it was.

Roe was ducked down, right behind her.

When another twig snapped, Abbey followed the sound with her rifle.

And soon, the person stepped out.

Sighing quietly, she lowered her rifle.

"You startled me". Abbey mumbled.

"Sorry". Bill smirked, "that phone working?"

She looked towards the phone.

Abbey reached towards the wire, which was still connected.

"Yes. Why?"

The Platoon Sargent shrugged, "just wondered".

And Guarnere walked away.

She wondered if he did that, just to see if she was still paying attention.

Abbey looked back out towards the field again.

She took up her original position.

Hands under her armpits, shoulders hiked up, with her rifle resting against her thigh.

Roe tucked his aid kits away.

"Thank you, Abbey". He said to her, "keep warm, alright? You got a blanket?"

Abbey nodded.

"Yes. It's in my foxhole".

That wasn't her biggest concern at the moment.

It had been two days since she last had a drink of water.

She lost the water out of her canteen during their march into Bastogne.

It was stupid, really.

Abbey had a headache, felt more tired than usual and her stomach hurt. She thought the best thing to do was eat the snow. Turned out, that only increased her thirst. Her best option now was to wait until Heffron came back with water. She wasn't the only one feeling thirsty.

Abbey rubbed her forehead.

"…I'll go and get it".

Blinking, she looked over at Roe.

"Get what?" Abbey asked.

"Your blanket". He told her, "you need it".

Giving her head a shake, she faced the front again.

"My watch will be over soon, Gene…don't worry".

Abbey's hand rested on her stomach.

Her face dropped a little, when her stomach started to jab her.

She felt like such an idiot.

The medic frowned, while he looked at her.

"Feeling okay, Abbey?" He murmured, "you don't look good".

If her stomach wasn't so sore, Abbey could have handled things better.

It felt like she was being stabbed in the gut.

Abbey sighed, "I ate the snow".

Roe pulled a face.

"Why?"

"I'm thirsty". She mumbled.

Shaking his head, Roe reached towards his belt and brought out a spare canteen. Unscrewing the cap, he placed the canteen into her hands. Abbey looked down, before she brought the canteen up to her lips and took a few sips of water.

She handed it back to him.

"Thank you". Abbey croaked.

Smiling small, Roe gave her a nod.

"Don't eat the snow again". He warned her, "does you more harm than good".

"I know". She mumbled, "I'll be fine, Gene".

And just like that, they were shelled again.

Abbey and Roe ducked down.

One of the shells hit the tree which caused chaos with many splinters.

They were by far the worst. Having splinters tear up into your skin. And it happened to Carson, the splinters tore up into his feet and he was quickly evacuated back into Bastogne for treatment. And it was there where they learned that the Germans had cut the highway and completed the encirclement of the Bastogne area. The 101st were surrounded.


	41. Chapter 40

"You are not meant to do that".

"Abbey, my feet are soaked".

"Yes. And they will freeze now that your boots are off".

She had a long piece of string.

Abbey tied it from one side, to the other, creating a washing line inside Toye's foxhole.

Toye was making coffee, using the Sternos can. You take off the top, light a match and it creates a little blue flame. They'd melt the snow in their helmets, added the coffee and pour the warm coffee into their tins. The Sterno's was a great little gadget. They also started to get creative with their foxholes and added roofs. The roofs varied. Some guys used their ponchos, spare blankets. While others used dead and frozen soldiers. Abbey stuck with her poncho as a cover.

"Thought you was meant to dry the wet ones over your neck?"

"Yes, but if you have three". Abbey said, "then you can use the washing line".

Toye poured the coffee into the tins.

"I don't got three". He mumbled, "here – you look cold".

They both sat inside the foxhole, with the poncho over them.

It was already starting to get dark but then again, the woods were always dull.

Once the tin was in her hands, her fingertips started to tingle from the warmth. Abbey moved closer towards the steam, warming up her nose and blue lips. Toye was sitting opposite her, smoking a cigarette and massaging his feet.

"You and Jack are next up for watch". Toye told her, "Babe and Nelly are now on".

She gave him a nod.

"You heard his cough?"

"Babes?" Abbey asked, "everyone is coughing, Joe".

Toye sighed, "right". He mumbled, "told him to keep his chest warm".

"You think it's a chest infection?"

He shrugged, "might be…you feeling good?"

Abbey nodded again.

She took a sip of her coffee.

The taste was bitter and strong, but the warmth in her chest felt great.

"Are you?" Abbey asked, "are your feet okay?"

Toye looked at his feet, then back at Abbey.

"You think they look okay?"

Putting down her tin, Abbey moved towards his feet.

She placed her finger on the balls of his feet, Toye hissed.

"They do look wet". Abbey mumbled, "could turn into trench foot if you are not careful".

"Shit". Toye sighed, "I ain't going off the line".

"I'm not asking you to".

Abbey sat back against the frozen mud and picked up her coffee.

Toye grabbed two flour sacks and started to wrap them around his feet. Everyone seemed to be doing that, Abbey tried it, but the sacks irritated her skin which caused itching and redness. Abbey watched while Toye tied the rope around the sack.

"How'd it happen?"

Abbey frowned, looking at him.

"Your friend". He said, "how'd he die?"

Her frown deepened.

"You remember that?"

Toye nodded, "sure…it's not something you forget your pal telling you".

Abbey took the last drink of her coffee.

She shook her head, "it's not important right now, Joe".

"No?"

"Not at all".

Sighing, Toye looked away from his feet.

"That should do, huh?" He said quietly.

"Looks fine". Abbey mumbled, "do they feel sore?"

Toye picked up his coffee and leaned back.

"Nah – not really".

And then, completely out of the blue, there came a high-pitched scream.

Toye could have cursed, Abbey didn't hear him.

A few seconds later, the screaming Mimi hit and shattered the earth. Luckily for them, they were already in cover. But then, Toye remembered his boots, which were sitting outside of the foxhole. He let out a louder curse and moved towards the edge of the foxhole. Abbey uncovered her face, just in time to see what he was doing.

She leaped towards him, arms wrapping around his waist.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Abbey screamed.

"My boots-"

"I'll get you new ones!"

** Boom! **

Another shell hit.

They both fell back into the hole, while the impact ripped his roof off.

Both of them were lying back, face squinting while a large force of wind pulled them back further. It was like someone had a wind machine, aiming right in their faces. Splinters and shrapnel flew everywhere, and men started to scream out for medics in between rounds of shells.

Abbey was leaning back against Toye's chest.

"You better get me new boots!" He said into her ear.

Sure enough, Toye's boots had been blown up.

The pair of them were by the edge of the foxhole, picking up the remains.

Understandably, Toye was pissed.

"Jesus fucking Christ".

Abbey sighed quietly, "we'll get new ones".

Toye pulled a face, "from where?"

"I don't know". She mumbled, "from somewhere".

He shook his head and tossed a piece of leather away.

"This is shit".

Abbey bobbed her head.

"Yes. It is". She agreed, "so, what now?"

…

She ended up getting lost while trying to locate Dike.

Buck needed a word with him, Abbey volunteered to look for their CO.

But she got lost.

It wasn't hard to get lost, not when it was constantly snowing and foggy. Everything looked the same, more snow would fall and cover her tracks. Abbey had completely lost her bearings. She stood still, looked from left to right and seemed to grow more confused. All the trees were the same, she didn't pass the frozen stream where they collected water and Abbey grew frustrated.

It was Dike's fault.

If they knew where that man went to, then she wouldn't have gotten lost. Abbey could only blame someone else because she couldn't admit that she lost her way. It was easy to blame a person who got the blame for almost anything. All Abbey ever heard was;

_"where's Dike?"_

_ "Has anyone seen Lieutenant Dike?" _

It was frustrating.

Abbey was about to take a step forward, when she heard a crunch.

Tilting her head to the side, she held up her rifle and sharply turned around.

A short gasp was all that left her.

"Wait-"

**_Bang! _**

Abbey dove behind a tree quickly.

The second bullet hit the bark.

Jaw clenching, she pressed her back up against the tree.

Her boots were sliding away from her because her legs were so tense from trying to stay still. Another bullet hit the tree. Abbey's rifle was held up towards her chest tightly.

"Aufgeben!"

Abbey had no idea what that meant.

He shot out again.

She flinched.

"Jesus". Abbey whispered.

"Aufgeben!" He repeated, louder this time.

Licking her bottom lip, Abbey gave her head a shake.

"I don't speak-"

_** Bang! **_

The bullet went flying past the tree, skipping the bark.

Abbey took in a deep breath.

"Fuck – I don't speak German!" She told him.

It was hard not to sound a little nervous.

Her voice shook, ever so slightly.

The German went quiet.

Abbey rubbed her lips together, watching thick and white snowflakes fall. They landed gently, adding more inches to the white smooth surface in front of her. It made her feel sick and dizzy. Though, that could have been the increasing anxiety of having a German trying to shoot her.

Those feelings had to be pushed down.

"Surrender…".

_ Of course_, Abbey thought.

He wanted her to surrender.

Bad idea. If Abbey surrendered to the enemy, she would rather die. God knows what they'd do to her when they found out she wasn't in fact, male. Abbey wasn't stupid, Toye had warned her never to surrender for that exact reason. No, she couldn't.

"Nein". It was all she knew in German.

That, and yes.

Footsteps got closer.

Just a little.

The German shot again.

Abbey ducked her head, while it flew over her.

Chewing the inside of her cheek, she sunk in a deep breath.

"This is just cruel". She said, more to herself than anyone else.

"Steh auf!"

"I told you". Abbey muttered, "I don't speak bloody German-"

**_ Bang! _**

She ducked again.

"Up!" The German commanded.

Heart in her throat, she got up.

She still had a hold of her rifle.

But his pistol, was now pressed on the side of her head. Abbey looked up at the solider. It was the strangest feeling, being this close to someone who was about to shoot you. Knowing that she was about to die was an interesting process. There was no way she could get out of this one. Abbey didn't have a clear shot; her rifle was jammed between the tree and her arm. If she punched him, he'd shoot, if she reached for her knife, he'd shoot.

She was going to die.

And her body would fall into the snow.

Abbey's eyes looked down towards the white, which would soon be mixed with red. What bothered her the most was knowing she was right.

_ "We're going to die alone. Both of us". _

She told that to Charlie.

He was still alive, probably. But Abbey was going to die.

Her eyes raised again, meeting his blank stare.

Taking in a deep breath, Abbey closed her eyes.

_ Was this going to hurt? _

_ What happens after? _

_ Will Joe be okay? _

"Duck!" A voice commanded.

It was both lucky and purely random.

Eyes opening, Abbey hit the snow.

One shot ran out and the German fell.

Her hands saved her face getting wet with snow. Abbey's eyes were staring widely at the white and soft substance, while she tried to make sense of it all. It didn't seem to matter who did it, what matter was; he saved her life.

Pushing herself up, Abbey was back on her feet.

And from behind a tree, Lieutenant Speirs appeared.

She frowned.

Had she really gotten that lost?

The man walked over and stood beside her.

He stared at the dead German.

"You're far from your line".

Abbey swallowed; her mouth felt so dry.

She looked at him, "he was going to kill me".

Speirs nodded, "yes, he was". He mumbled, "he didn't hit you?"

She shook her head.

"Good". He murmured, "you get lost?"

Abbey rubbed the back of her neck.

"I did, sir". She mumbled, "I was trying to find our CO-"

"HQ". Speirs told her, "I was just heading that way. I'll walk you there".

He started to walk in that direction, Abbey caught up with him, once her eyes pulled away from the dead soldier, who was moments away from killing her. They walked in silence for the first few moments, Abbey expected that. Speirs wasn't the most talkative person, and neither was she. And she almost forget to say something pretty important.

"Thank you, sir". Abbey mumbled.

Speirs nodded.

"Right".

_What a strange response. _

Abbey thought.

But then, her lips twitched.

"Okay, sir".

Ten minutes of walking later and they reached HQ.

Winters was there, as was Nixon and Guarnere.

But no Lieutenant Dike.

Speirs gave the two officers a salute.

"Captain Winters". He addressed.

"Lieutenant Speirs". Winters greeted back.

And then noticed Abbey, who was standing behind him.

He frowned, a little confused.

"Private?"

Blinking, Abbey saluted the Captain.

"Sirs…Sargent Guarnere".

Her Platoon Sargent sighed.

"Where the hell have you been, huh? You've been gone for two hours".

She frowned a little.

_ Two hours?! _

"I got lost and-"

"I found her, Sargent". Speirs assured him, "she ended up with my Company".

Abbey nodded in agreement.

They never mentioned the stray German.

Guarnere shook his head, "come on, Abbey – Joe's flipping out".

After saluting the officers once more, the two of them left HQ.

It was a quiet walk towards their line.

Though, Guarnere did mention one thing.

"Krauts have created a huge bulge in the line, cause they pushed so far into our lines. They hit us from all sides, they figured out we've surrounded the town".

Abbey shook her head.

"Bill…we are the nuttiest people in the entire world".

That made him grin.

"We sure are, Abbey". He agreed, "and I tell you, the best fucking people are the nutty ones".

Shivering, she stuck her hands under her armpits.

"How is your urine fairing?"

Guarnere pulled a face.

"How the hell do you know it burns when I piss?"

Abbey shrugged.

"I overheard you".

Guarnere sighed, "right – yeah, of course, you did".

She looked at him, "what did the doc say?"

"Drink plenty of water". He mimicked, "it's pissing that fucking hurts, Abbey".

"He has a point, Bill".

Abbey faced the front again.

"You must flush the infection out of your system". She went on, "if it does not go away, you will need penicillin".

Guarnere rubbed his hands together.

He looked around him.

"Don't see any…do you?"

Snorting softly, Abbey nudged his arm.

He chuckled, "sorry…".

Her lips formed a small smile.

"You are far from sorry". She mumbled, "but it was a funny joke".

"I'm fucking hilarious, Abbey". He pointed out, "I make myself laugh".

"That's very…entertaining for yourself, Bill".

Guarnere grinned again and tossed his arm over her shoulders.

Abbey leaned into his side, arm going around his waist.

And the pair of them walked through the snow and back to their friends.


	42. Chapter 41

The snow was starting to get thicker by the hour.

And under the snow was ice in some parts of the woods. Abbey had slid and stumbled plenty of times while walking out on patrols. She almost fell and broke every bone in her body a couple of times. It was dangerous, the weather was becoming their second enemy. If the Germans didn't kill you, the cold weather surely would. Heffron's cough was getting worse, Guarnere was still "pissing needles" and Toye's feet were concerning the medics.

He still didn't have any boots.

But at least Roe knew.

Abbey figured the doc would sort it out.

She mentally cringed every time she saw Toye walking with the burlaps around his feet instead of his boots. And even flinched a little, every time she heard him hiss or curse under his breath. Abbey watched, while her squad leader made his way over to her. Once reaching her side, he sat down next to her.

"You've got a busy afternoon". He told her.

Eyebrows twitching, she looked at him.

"I have?" Abbey mumbled.

Toye nodded, "yeah…you, Nelly and Babe are heading out".

"Okay, what are we doing?"

"Joining in with 1st Platoon". He told her, "they need another gunner. So, figured I'd send Babe and two others".

"Patrol?"

"Yup – Kraut hunting". Toye said to her, "no one volunteered. Bill told me to pick a few guys".

Abbey picked up her rifle.

"I agree". She mumbled, "with your choice".

He smirked, "oh, good to have you on board, Abbey".

Her lips formed a small smile.

"Why us?"

Toye shrugged, "why not? I figure I'd give them my best guys".

Abbey got onto her feet and reached her hand out for Toye.

Grabbing her hand, he was soon on his feet.

"You look like a crazy man wearing flour sacks on his feet". Abbey mumbled.

He looked down at his feet.

"You just went and said the truth there, Abbey".

Abbey chuckled softly.

Toye grinned and looked back at her.

"Joe". Her voice turned a little serious, "when you receive new boots. Please, never take them off".

Smiling, he gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"I'll keep that promise, Abbey".

Just after eleven, Nelson, Heffron and Abbey made their way towards 1st Platoon. Once they reached the Platoon, they moved a few metres behind the MLR where Father Maloney was waiting for them. He had his Communion set up to give a general absolution. While Heffron and Nelson gathered around Father Maloney with the rest, Abbey walked over towards Martin and Peacock, who were going over a few things.

"Combat patrol". Martin informed her, "we know the Krauts are in the woods in front of us, but we don't know how many or where their MLR or OP's are positioned. They want us to get that information and any prisoners, if possible".

It wasn't a good day to go in search for a line.

The snow was terrible. And the fog still hadn't lifted.

But if they needed information, then they'd get information.

"Got it?" Peacock asked.

Abbey gave a nod.

"Yes, sir". She whispered, while looking over at her friends.

"Fight well for your God and your country". Father Maloney said, "God Bless you all. Stay safe".

Abbey watched the men all rise.

"That's it, guys". Skip said, "nothing more to worry about. We 'gonna die now, we 'gonna die in a state of Grace. Isn't that right, Babe?"

Her lips twitched.

Even amongst all this madness, Skip's humour remained in tacked.

Pushing herself off from the tree, Abbey wondered over towards Heffron and Nelson.

"Stick with me". Nelson told her, "might get lost out there".

"I was thinking that". She mumbled, "it will be easy to get lost".

Abbey had plenty of experience getting lost in these woods.

…

The combat patrol moved to the extreme right flank along the railroad tracks.

It moved towards Dog Company's position and began advancing towards the Germans. The tracks to the right, the woods to the left. They moved slowly, in their column. Soft and thick snow fell, covering up their tracks. Their feet didn't crunch this time, it landed quietly on the white snow, not making a sound. There was something so eerie about snow, Abbey would never look at it the same after this. It almost made her feel sick, just from staring at it all the time. Like a constant reminder that things were horrible and not as pretty as she once imagined the snow to look like.

Two hundred metres beyond the MLR, Peacock gave his orders.

Each squad would form a column of twos, abreast of one another, with two scouts on point and proceed into the woods until contact was made. They plunged into the woods. The snow did blind them, and they lost contact with other squads and their scouts. Abbey and Nelson weren't far behind from Martin and Julian. They had taken cover behind a pile of logs, while Julian moved out onto the road to reach the next source of cover.

It was extremely quiet.

They didn't make a sound.

But that silence was broken, from an MG-42.

It hit Julian on the neck, he went down.

Martin cursed and moved forward.

He fired shots but it was hard to make out the Germans.

Nelson grabbed Abbey's arm.

"Let's try and grab him from the other side!"

She nodded and they both got up.

Abbey wasn't sure what other side he was talking about. But was sure they wouldn't manage to grab Julian from their current position. That machine-gun wasn't going to give up. The two of them ran back into the woods. The MG-42 was still loud, its fire echoed throughout the woods. And more shots could be heard from around them. Abbey wondered how many Germans were out trying to shoot them down. They must have hit something more powerful than their outpost, it had to have been their MLR.

"Nelly! What do we do?!" Abbey asked loudly.

Nelson shook his head, "dam! I thought we could get to him!"

"We should head back towards Johnny and Babe!"

He turned his head, checking the slope they had come from.

Nelson moved towards the edge.

Abbey was crouched down and started to fire out.

His eyes widened, "Abbey! Don't give away our position!"

But it was too late.

The Germans found them.

Shots were fired out.

For a few seconds, the MG-42 was directed towards them.

Abbey dove onto her stomach, hands going over her helmet.

She hoped within those few seconds; they had managed to grab Julian. But it wasn't likely, the shots fired at them didn't last long and Abbey slowly raised her head. There was still chaos coming from below them but asides from that, it was safe to raise her head.

For now, at least.

Taking in a deep breath, Abbey grabbed her rifle and slowly moved towards the tree.

She took cover behind it.

Abbey felt like an idiot. She shouldn't have given away their position so quickly.

Head leaning against the tree, she closed her eyes to collect her thoughts.

"Abbey…".

Opening her eyes again, Abbey followed the voice.

Nelson was still lying down.

"I'm sorry, Nelly!" She said, "I shouldn't have-"

"I've been hit!"

Eyes widening, Abbey dropped everything and crawled over to him.

When she reached his side, Abbey placed her hand on the small of his back and leaned down towards his head.

"Where?!" She asked, into his ear.

He was quiet for a few moments.

"It's bad!"

Abbey shook her head.

"No – I will fix this!"

"Abbey, it's fucking bad!"

Ignoring him, she got up and placed her hands under his arms.

Soon, Abbey was dragging him along the snow.

Nelson moaned a few times, and Abbey could see a trail of blood leaking from his stomach. It wasn't in his leg this time. She tried not to think of how serious this could potentially be; Abbey just wanted to fix him. They reached a tree, Abbey sat him up, so he was leaning against it.

Everything was so loud; it was hard to concentrate.

And she couldn't stop shaking.

Could have been the cold but Abbey knew it was her emotions.

She opened his jacket and ripped his jumper and shirt apart.

Sure enough, the bullet hole was there.

He was bleeding out.

Abbey didn't have an aid kit, neither did Nelson.

And Martin told their medic to hang back.

She could feel a swell of anger bubble away.

But it wasn't directed at anyone, just at herself.

Abbey took off her scarf and tied it tightly above his wound, to stop the bleeding.

Nelson was pale.

His entire body was trembling.

Blood loss, pain and the cold.

Abbey got back onto her feet and reached up to grab an icicle from the branch. If that bullet was still in there, she'd need to get it out. They didn't have morphine for the pain and there was no other way to clean the wound other than to use the ice.

She pressed the ice against his wound.

Nelson hissed and whimpered.

Abbey nodded, "I know, Nelly!" She yelled above the MG-42. "But it could be in there!"

He took a hold of her wrist.

"I trust you, Abbey!" He said, "go for it!"

Abbey kept the ice against his wound for a few more minutes.

She gave his skin a little pinch, he didn't flinch.

And then, her fingers went into the wound.

Nelson didn't make a sound, while she explored his insides.

But it all got too much for him, when she hit a tender spot.

Nelson screamed; his voice went hoarse from the sheer power.

And Abbey retreated, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry!" She said, "shit – I'm fucking sorry, Nelly!"

The bleeding was under control.

For as far as they could tell, anyway.

Nelson opened his eyes and let out a shaky breath.

"It's okay…". He croaked.

Abbey couldn't hear him.

She needed to get him out of there.

But they were so close to the Germans line.

"Go".

She heard that.

Abbey shook her head.

Nelson sighed, clearly angry.

"Abbey! Just do as your fucking told for once, huh?!"

She pulled a face.

"I do-"

"no!" He yelled, "when it comes to saving yourself, you never listen!"

"My life is meaningless compared to yours!"

"Bullshit!" Nelson spat, "that's bullshit, Abbey!"

"It's not!" Abbey argued, "you have people who love you-"

"as do you!"

"They left me!" She screamed, "they've fucking gone! Everyone leaves!"

And then.

It went quiet.

Just for a few moments, the Germans stopped firing.

Abbey swallowed.

She turned to face the slope.

Slowly, she moved towards the edge.

The MG-42 opened up again.

"Shit". Abbey hissed, crawling back towards Nelson.

Pursing her lips, she leaned back against the tree.

She shook her head, "they've gone!"

Nelson nodded slowly.

"They had to fall back, Abbey! We've hit the fucking line!"

It felt incredibly tense.

The Germans were firing.

Nelson was hurt.

And they were alone.

Toye was going to be pissed.


	43. Chapter 42

There wasn't a chance she'd leave him.

It had been ten minutes since Abbey and Nelson had been completely on their own. He was still awake and breathing. The bleeding wasn't rushing out like a river, but he did look pale and tired. Nelson's eyes looked sunken in and his lips looked white and blue. But that was nothing unusual because everyone had blue lips. But not everyone had suffered blood loss.

"Water?" He croaked.

Abbey shook her head.

"I left it". She whispered, "back in our foxhole".

Nelson cleared his throat and gave his head a little nod.

"That's okay, Abbey…".

"It's not". She mumbled, "I have to get you back".

He opened one eye and looked at her.

"Not safe right now". Nelson said, "just wait, alright?"

Abbey rubbed her lips together.

It was quiet.

They could get out.

Nelson placed a hand on her arm.

"Abbey". He whispered, "it's only been a few minutes since they stopped firing".

She looked at him.

Sighing, Abbey placed a hand on his forehead.

"You are very warm". She mumbled, "hang on".

Standing up, Abbey reached up and grabbed another icicle.

Sitting back beside him, she rubbed the icicle in her hands for a few moments, before pressing it against his lips. Nelson licked up the melted ice. Abbey's lips twitched. At least she made him feel a tiny bit more comfortable. Leaning back against the tree, she resumed holding the ice towards his lips, watching carefully in case it stuck to his skin.

More minutes passed.

Abbey had forgotten to check her watch.

Nelson didn't seem bothered about the time, he just wanted to stay alive. And she'd do all she could, to keep him well until it was safe enough to head back. He pulled his face back a little from the ice, Abbey lowered her hands.

"Okay?" She asked, head tilting to the side.

Nelson gave her a tiny nod in response.

Abbey pressed her hand back against his forehead.

He closed his eyes and shivered again.

Pulling her hand back, Abbey started to take off her jacket.

One of his eyes peeled open.

Nelson sighed.

"Don't be stupid…".

Abbey took off her jacket and placed it across his chest.

"You need it more than I do". She mumbled.

It was horrendously cold.

But she'd never admit that to him.

Nelson closed his eye again.

"Freak". He murmured.

A tiny smile crossed her lips. But it wasn't there for long.

Nelson cleared his throat, "get over here then".

Abbey leaned into his side; his arm went over her shoulders.

"Body heat". He said quietly, "still got it, huh?"

"Do you think someone will find us?" She asked.

"I do". Nelson replied, "they'll come back".

Abbey watched the snow falling.

She felt sick again.

Sighing quietly, she closed her eyes.

"I never wanted to join the army". Nelson mumbled, "was my dads' idea".

Abbey frowned.

"He pushed me into it". He said quietly, "he's a good guy, Abbey. But I never wanted this".

"What about your mum?" She whispered.

"She just wanted what was best for me".

There was a small pause between them.

"What was best for you, Nelly?"

Nelson snorted.

"Oh…I wanted to be a doctor".

Abbey opened her eyes.

She wasn't expecting that.

He chuckled weakly, "weird, huh?"

"A little strange, yes".

Nelson sighed, "well…that's what I wanted to be but wasn't smart enough".

Abbey shook her head.

"I think you are smart enough".

"Nah…not like you, Abbey".

She pulled a face.

"I disagree". Abbey mumbled, "I could never be a doctor. People don't like me at all that much".

Nelson's lips turned up into a smile, "they don't have to like you, in order for you to save their life, Abbey".

"It might cloud my judgement".

"No". He mumbled, "you treat everyone the same, even if they don't like you. I couldn't do that, not a lot of us could. But you can". He then added, "except when you lash out".

Abbey huffed out a tiny laugh.

Nelson smiled again and placed his cheek on top of her helmet.

"You haven't done that in a while, Abbey". He said softly. "I'm proud of you".

He coughed and leaned away from her.

She was about to sit up, but Nelson held her back.

He spat out whatever was in his mouth and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Must be getting what Babe has".

Abbey frowned, "do you feel okay?"

Nelson nodded and cleared his throat.

"Uh – yeah…besides from getting shot. I feel great".

The itch of concern never left her.

But her gut screamed that something was wrong.

Abbey tried to sit up again, wanting to check up on him but Nelson held her down. Whatever happened, he didn't want her to see. And she wasn't an idiot, he was hiding how bad things were getting for him. Abbey felt her throat tighten and she had to quickly close her eyes and imagine that the worst wasn't going to happen.

"Hey, Abbey?" Came his quiet and soft voice.

She bit down on her lip.

"Yes?" Abbey asked, equally as quiet.

"Can you wake me up in an hour?"

Abbey's bottom lip quivered.

She could feel something burn behind her eyelids.

But she nodded all the same.

"Okay, Nelly". Abbey whispered, "just an hour".

Nelson exhaled.

"Thanks, Abbey".

His eyes shut again.

And she looked down at her watch.

It was almost four in the afternoon; it would be getting dark soon. So, she'd wake him at five and Abbey would just need to take her chances and get them out of there and back with Easy. He might have been ready to slip away but Abbey couldn't let that happen. But to respect his wishes, she stayed tucked under his arm for one hour.

Time went by very slowly.

Abbey remained quiet.

Her body started to shake and tremble.

Maybe she would end up freezing to death.

Teeth chattering against each other, Abbey curled up closer into Nelson's side. She could feel his fingers tighten against her arm. And she relaxed, just a little, because he was still with her.

Abbey looked at her watch.

Forty minutes to go.

Then, she could get them out of there.

That was the deal she made for herself.

But nothing ever went to plan.

Two minutes after she looked at her watch, Nelson started coughing.

It was so violent, that Abbey could get out of his grip and sit in front of him. To her horror, he was choking and coughing up blood. She hadn't seen anything like it before and she didn't know what to do. Abbey placed both hands on the side of his face, staring intently at him. His body was jerking, as if he was fighting with himself. And blood continued to splutter and spew out of his mouth.

_ Why didn't we leave earlier?! _

"Nelly!" She called out firmly, "Nelly – stop it! Please…calm down!"

He was gasping.

Nelson was fighting for every breath.

His hand went over her arm, while he continued to jerk and struggle.

Abbey was breathing heavily now.

Her head was rushing, heart pounding.

She licked her lips, "it's okay". Abbey murmured, "it's okay – Nelly, it's okay".

It wasn't okay.

None of this was okay but Nelson just had to believe what she was saying.

And his eyes opened slightly, they locked onto her eyes.

Abbey swallowed back the lump in her throat.

She nodded quickly, "you're okay". Abbey sounded scared again. "See? It's okay".

But he choked again.

Only this time, he couldn't breathe out.

Abbey shook her head.

"No – Nelly!" She said to him, "Nelly – stop!"

Nelson, still staring at her, let out a long and relaxed exhale.

His grip on her arm went slack and his entire body slumped.

Abbey's eyes went wide.

She still had a hold of his face.

Rubbing her lips together, Abbey's ear went towards his mouth.

"Nelly?" She mumbled quietly, "Nelly?"

Abbey stayed like that for a few moments.

Her head moved back, she let go of his face.

"Jesus Christ". Abbey slurred, while her stomach twisted.

Her hands pressed against the snow, she leaned against them heavily.

It was the only thing stopping her from falling.

Before Abbey could even process anything, an intense amount of gun fire came from below her. That MG-42 opened up again, as well as their own mortars. Abbey's hands hovered above her ears, while she scooted back towards Nelson again and ducked for cover. The exchange went on, all the while Abbey stuck by her dead friend and waited for it to end.

She didn't know how long it went on for but was glad when it ended.

A few odd shots were fired out but the MG-42 wasn't in action.

Abbey stayed curled up next to Nelson however, and kept her eyes closed.

Even when she heard footsteps approach her, Abbey was beyond caring by this point. She didn't care. Her friend was dead. She was cold and didn't see the point in all of this.

Abbey Harrison was going to die.

And if her time was up now, then fair enough.

"Abbey?"

Opening her eyes, she slowly turned her head.

It was Shifty, from 3rd Platoon.

The young man crouched in front of her.

His eyes looked saddened by the sight.

"You need a hand?" He asked, in his usual soft voice.

Biting down on her bottom lip, Abbey nodded.

Only Shifty Powers could have spotted the two of them up that slope.

And together, they lay Nelson down on the snow and Abbey covered her friend's face with her jacket. Shivering, she continued to look at him. She didn't have anything to say but Shifty said a quiet prayer under his breath for their fallen friend.

He wrapped his arm around her.

"Come on, Abbey". Shifty murmured, "let's get you back now".

…

It was the longest journey of her life.

Abbey walked back into their line without Nelson.

Toye was the first to spot her from 2nd Platoon.

He dropped whatever he was holding and ran over to her.

In boots.

He had boots.

That's what Abbey noticed first.

Shifty let her go, once he gave her arm a squeeze.

"Now, Joe". He said, "I don't think she feels like talking much".

Toye shook his head, his arms went around her.

Abbey's face was pressed up against his chest.

He looked over her head, "Nelly?" Toye whispered.

Frowning, Shifty shook his head.

Sighing heavily, Toye closed his eyes and held Abbey tighter.

"Thanks, Shift". He choked out.

Abbey's eyes remained open.

She could see Liebgott walking over to them, Jackson by his side.

Her heart fell to the ground.

And her head felt fuzzy but heavy.

The news of Nelson dying was tragic.

There was a drop in morale, which was dangerous. Heffron was a concern. He had lost his best friend Julian and just found out he lost another good friend, Nelson. No one expected Nelson to get hit. It was a horrible shock. Death was always around them; it was unavoidable. Sometimes, some deaths were just harder to move on from, and those were the ones which haunted you the most.

Abbey would never forget it.

She'd need to live with this guilt for the rest of her life.

It was her fault, after all.

She gave away their position.

And she didn't move them from that slope earlier.

Abbey pushed herself out of Toye's arms.

Her hands balled up into fists.

She glared at the snow.

Toye's arms fell to his sides.

His face dropped.

"Abbey-"

"hang on". Abbey pressed out between tight lips.

Breathing heavily, her hands covered her face.

Toye took a step towards her.

"Abbey….".

His heart was breaking, for a lot of reasons.

Liebgott and Jackson watched, in silence.

As did a few other curious eyes.

"Sixty…fifty-nine…fifty-eight…fifty-seven…fifty-six".

Abbey counted back out loud, this time.

Her entire body started to shake and tremble.

Could have been the cold, could have been the emotions.

Those strange feelings, Abbey hadn't felt in so long.

It crushed her, hitting her over and over again.

Like constant hits in the chest.

"It's my fault". Abbey whispered, from behind her hands.

Toye shook his head.

"My fault…". She repeated.

Running a hand down his face, Toye stepped closer to her.

Abbey felt something warm run down her cheek.

"I fucked up". Her voice broke, "I'm sorry, Joe – I fucked up".

He was standing in front of her again.

Abbey hadn't noticed.

He felt his own his fill with tears.

Because Toye knew she was crying, he could hear the tears in her voice.

She sniffed.

"I'm sorry". Abbey choked out.

His hand was on her shoulder.

"That's enough". Toye whispered, "stop blaming yourself. I won't hear it".

"But it's-"

"I won't hear it!"

He only raised his voice a little.

But it was enough for Abbey to uncover her face and look at him.

Toye frowned.

Reaching towards her face, he wiped the tear away.

Abbey's bottom lip quivered.

He took in a deep breath and stared at her.

"I love you, Abbey". Toye whispered, "you're my fucking family. You can tell me it's your fault all you want but I ain't 'gonna love you any less. And if saying sorry makes you feel better, then alright. But you don't 'gotta be sorry. Huh? Not to me. Not to us and not to him".

Abbey's eyes filled with tears again.

He gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"Right?" Toye asked.

She found her head nodding.

"Good". He mumbled gruffly.

Toye pulled her into another hug.

And Abbey's arms went around him.

But not even Toye could make this guilt disappear.


	44. Chapter 43

It was never going to stop snowing.

The winter felt like it would never end. Nights were so long because days were shortened. The Germans still shelled them during the night, no one slept, and things just felt awful. Even more so the same night they lost Nelson. Abbey didn't think it could get any worse. And if it did, she'd never make it to the end of this war. She was on watch that night, by herself. Right at the front, with Grants boys in the OP behind, yards back from her position.

It was her turn for watch.

Jackson went before her.

He wasn't doing very well either.

But Heffron was their main worry.

Abbey didn't have a jacket.

Nelson had it.

So, Toye told her to keep her blanket wrapped around her until he could find her a new jacket. Abbey was frozen, more than yesterday and the day before. Bastogne was hell. But it might have been worse than hell because it was so cold.

Soft footsteps came from behind her.

Abbey listened to them closely.

Slowly, she turned around.

"Hey, trooper".

Winters slid in beside her, very quietly.

"Any movement?"

Abbey licked her bottom lip, shaking her head.

Sighing quietly, the Captain stared out towards the field.

"I'm hoping this fog clears up soon". He said, "at least then, we'll get a clear view across the field. And hopefully, a supply drop".

Abbey grabbed the edges of her blanket again, pulling the fabric closer around her body. Her eyes felt heavy, worn and her body was drained. But not tired enough to sleep. She was passed the point of being tired enough to sleep. Her mind felt hazy and fuzzy. But somehow, Abbey still managed to pay attention to what was around her.

Winters looked at her for a moment.

She didn't look well.

Frowning, he looked back out towards the field.

The news of Nelson was tragic.

Every time they lost a Toccoa man, it was like a pole stabbed them in the heart.

Abbey didn't know what she was looking for anymore. It felt like her mind went numb again when Winters sat down next to her. However, she did remember one thing. The last time Winters sat with her during OP was back in Holland. Abbey had apologised to him about Hall. And there was no apology needed, that's what he told her. But this time was so different.

_ "You think I should talk with Hall, sir?" _

_ "Would that make you feel better?" _

Abbey tilted her head up towards the dark and snowy sky.

Her eyes remined open, while snow fell onto her face.

"I'm sorry, Nelly". She said. Voice clear but soft.

Winters turned to face her.

His eyes were heavy with sadness.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Winters nodded.

"I think he heard that, Abbey".

She didn't feel any better.

Closing her eyes, her head lowered.

The snow slid down her face and she opened her eyes again.

"I don't feel any better, sir".

The air felt still and quiet.

Winters squeezed her shoulder.

"Not yet". He said softly, "one day".

…

She thought this was a dream.

It must have been.

Because when her eyes opened, Abbey could see a blue sky.

Rubbing her eyes a few times, she sat up.

The blanket dropped from her shoulders, falling around her.

It was still freezing.

But the sun was out.

The fog cleared, it stopped snowing.

Abbey's hand went on Toye's shoulder.

She gave him a shake.

"Joe". She mumbled.

Toye grumbled something under his breath.

"Joe". Abbey said, more firmly this time.

Sighing, he made another noise before answering.

"What?"

Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

And her lips twitched.

"It's the sun". Abbey whispered.

Toye was quiet for a few moments, trying to process what she had told him. His brain was still half asleep, after all. But the Sargent opened his eyes and sat up and sure enough, the sun was out, and the sky had cleared.

It was great news.

They were sure to get a supply drop.

Toye's lips formed a small smile.

And it brightened, while he wrapped his arm around Abbey's shoulder.

They hadn't had anything to eat in over twenty-four hours.

Surely, they'd get supplied with rations as well as ammo and more blankets.

Abbey and Toye continued to look up and admire the blue sky.

Roe came running towards them.

He had heard Abbey was going without a jacket.

And sure enough, she didn't have one.

"Abbey". Roe sat in front of their foxhole, "I'll find you a jacket, alright?"

She looked away from the sky and towards Roe.

Abbey nodded.

"Thank you, Gene". She mumbled.

"Okay – keep that blanket over you".

Her eyes met the blue sky again.

And the medic had to smile a little.

They both looked very pleased with the weather.

Reaching into the foxhole, Roe picked up the blanket and wrapped it around her.

"Keep it on, Abbey". He reminded her gently, before walking away.

Toye gave her arm a squeeze.

"This is great". He whispered, "been so long, huh?"

It felt like a long time since they last saw the sun.

The forest was always dull but not that morning.

Just having that bright light shine down on them, was enough to lighten their morale. After such a horrible day yesterday, a moment of hope appeared from behind the branches and greeted them with a warm smile.

And then, a swoosh came over their heads.

It was their own planes, a supply drop.

Everyone started to cheer and head out towards the edge of the line, letting off red smoke grenades and banners. But then, machine-gun fire rained down on them. Their planes must have gotten confused and thought they were the Germans or something, some of the men started to fire back but Lipton told them off.

"Cease fire! Cease fire, Goddammit!"

Soon enough, they were given rations to last them a day.

Medicine and ammo were resupplied as well but it still wasn't enough.

Abbey hopped into the jeep with Roe, Lipton, Jackson and a few others, who were heading back into town to grab the rest of the supplies which had dropped. She had never been inside the town, not since they walked through it to get to their lines. But it still looked the same. Only this time, the jeep stopped in front of a church. It felt good to be going away from the line, even if it was for ten or so minutes.

"Abbey, go with the doc – the rest of you, come with me". Lipton ordered, once they all got out of the jeep. Roe was already rushing inside; Abbey had to run and catch up with him. The church was a very strange place. Many of wounded men were lying down quietly or moaning weakly from the pain. There were more wounded than doctors and nurses.

She followed Roe inside a small room.

He grabbed a box, while a man started to fill it up with medical supplies.

Abbey grabbed another box and grabbed a few bandages.

"Hold on". Roe told her lowly, "let him decide what we take, Abbey".

She placed the bandage back down and waited.

The medic looked though the window, which led into the main hall.

Curiously, Abbey followed his gaze and saw a woman sitting by a soldier's bed.

The nurse was comforting the wounded man.

She had a hand on his forehead, while the other gripped his hand.

Her box got heavier.

Abbey looked towards the man, who was placing items into her box.

When their boxes were full, they made their way out of the room.

"Medic!" Someone yelled. "Someone give us a hand here!"

Abbey exited the room and saw two female nurses walking towards the wounded man who was being carried inside the church. The nurse Roe was looking at took charge of the situation and got the wounded man down onto a table in another room. Roe placed down his boxes. Abbey frowned and quickly done the same. Soon, she found herself chasing after their medic into the room with the two nurses and the wounded man. Roe took off his helmet and examined the man.

Abbey took a little step back, though could see a lot of blood.

There was a tiny hole, where the bullet must have entered but the amount of blood spewing out was unreal. Every time they wiped blood away, more appeared seconds later. The nurse was speaking in French, Abbey didn't understand a word she was saying but apparently, Roe did.

She took another step back.

"The artery". Roe said, "'gotta find the artery".

Abbey went very pale when Roe's hand dived into the wound.

There came this sickening sound while he done it, like someone had just stepped into wet mud. Her stomach turned; she was certain she'd get sick. But then, she swallowed back that feeling when she saw the look on Roe's face.

He was determined to find that artery.

To stop the bleeding.

To save another life.

"Anna!" The nurse called.

Abbey looked towards the wounded man's face.

Blood was coming out from his mouth.

Like it did for Nelson.

Closing her eyes, Abbey knew what was coming next.

"Anna!" She called out again.

But by the time Anna came along, the soldier passed away.

It was very quiet and still.

Until Roe let out a choked yell and tossed the towel away.

Abbey's eyes snapped open.

She looked over at their medic.

But he was looking at that nurse again.

The woman with the kind eyes.

Anna walked away and Abbey was left with her medic and his friend. Taking a small step forward, she placed a quiet hand on Roe's arm. The medic must have forgotten she was still in the room, as he jumped at the sudden touch.

"Don't worry, Gene". She said to him softly, "I will meet you outside".

The medic looked back at her.

His eyes softened more.

"We need to find you a jacket".

…

Abbey found herself a jacket.

She placed her Edelweiss in the front pocket and searched around the outside of the church for more supplies, while Roe and his friend sat down and waited for Lipton and the rest to collect them. The pair of them were sitting on two chairs, while they watched Abbey search for more supplies.

"Where does she come from?" Roe asked, "the black girl".

He was referring to Anna. The other nurse, who worked with Renee.

"The Congo". Renee replied.

"How'd she get here?"

"Just like me". She said, "she came to help".

After a moment of silence, Renee reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a chocolate bar.

"Chocolate?" She offered to Roe.

He didn't reply.

Though, looked at the bar with a small smile.

Renee tore at the paper.

Roe watched her fingers and hummed with a tiny laugh.

"What?" The nurse asked.

Roe nodded, "your hands".

Renee stopped pulling away the paper and looked at her hands.

They were covered in dry blood.

"My hands?" She asked quietly.

"You're a good nurse". Roe told her.

Renee stared at him.

Sighing, she looked away and shook her head.

"No". Renee mumbled, "I never want to treat another wounded man again. I'd rather work in a butcher's shop".

Roe frowned.

"But your touch". He whispered, "it calms people. That's a gift from God".

"No, it's not a gift". She said, "God would never give such a painful thing".

Renee broke a few squares of chocolate off and offered it to Roe again.

He shook his head.

Renee took a bite.

Her eyes landed on Abbey, who was picking up sheets and blankets.

"Where did she come from?"

Roe followed her gaze.

His lips twitched up into a small smile.

"Abbey". Roe told her quietly, "she turned out to be a great surprise".

Abbey stuffed the last blanket inside her bag and walked across the road.

A jeep was pulling up outside the church, just as she made it to the other side.

Roe's friend was soon on her feet, when the men inside the jeep called for the nurse. Abbey quickly made her way back over to their medic and picked up the boxes she left beside his chair. Lipton and the others weren't back yet, they were still out picking up supplies. So, she sat down on the empty chair and placed the boxes on her lap.

Looking towards the sky, the clouds were beginning to grow orange.

They were losing light; it must have been close to four.

Rubbing her lips together, she looked down at the box on her lap.

"She's pretty". Abbey mumbled.

But what made Roe smile, was the tiny blush on her cheeks.

He chuckled quietly.

"You think, Abbey?"

She shrugged.

"Yes. Sure. Why not?"

Roe cleared his throat.

"Well, you want her address? Maybe you could write to her, Abbey?"

Abbey's lips twitched.

She shook her head, "no, thank you".

Abbey rubbed the back of her neck and looked at him.

"Maybe she wants you to write to her".

Roe frowned a little.

"What?" He asked.

Her frown matched his.

"I got it wrong?" She whispered.

The medic sighed softly.

"It's complicated, Abbey". Roe mumbled.

Abbey nodded.

She looked towards the jeep and saw Renee direct the men inside the church, starting with the most wounded. Abbey had to admire the nurse. She knew how to take charge. And to have a nurse who cared so deeply.

Her eyes wondered towards Roe.

But then, they had medics who went above and beyond for them.

They lost sleep, meals and warmth, just to look after everyone.

"I wish I knew you better, Gene". She whispered.

The medic frowned again and looked back at her.

Abbey reached over and took his hand.

Taking in a deep breath, her eyes looked towards the road.

And the pair of them sat there and waited for their ride back onto the MLR.


	45. Chapter 44

With a Jerry can each, Jackson and Abbey stopped in front of the frozen stream.

Just getting right into it, Abbey broke the ice apart, by standing on it.

Jackson did the same and soon, they managed to place the Jerry cans into the stream, letting the cans fill up with water. Jackson found those few minutes to be his most peaceful time in Bastogne. No fighting, no shells, just water. And he let out a content sigh, while his eyes moved up stream. Only, he wished they didn't.

Jackson's face paled.

"Oh my God…".

Abbey was still looked down at her Jerry can.

"What?" She asked.

Jackson blinked.

Was he really seeing this?

"Abbey". He whispered, "we have a headcase".

Abbey frowned.

_What? _

"What?" She mumbled, looking at him.

Jackson, with wide eyes still, nodded to where he was looking.

Sighing quietly, she turned her head and followed his stare.

Abbey's eyes soon grew wide.

The pair of them remained quiet, though still filled up the Jerry cans.

She broke the silence.

"It's fine". Abbey mumbled, looking away.

Jackson pulled a face.

"Abbey – that's someone's fucking brain in the stream!"

"Yes". She whispered, "we have a dead Germans head and brain in the water, Jack. What of it?"

He almost laughed.

But felt slightly sick instead.

Jackson swallowed, "that's disgusting".

"Just – just put those pills inside our canteens and we'll be fine".

They had sulphanilamide tablets, so they wouldn't catch malaria from the water.

But Abbey didn't know if that would cure "a headcase disease".

Still, it was better to ignore it.

"Hang on". She mumbled.

Jackson looked at her, "what?"

Abbey huffed out a tiny laugh.

"Bill and Heffron used this stream last week". She said, "that brain – that's at least a week old, Jack".

And Jackson leaned away from the stream, where he started to vomit.

They never mentioned the water situation, and no one complained about it tasting funny. Though, Abbey did give Bill a very suspicious look when he went to fill up his canteen. Their Platoon Sargent smirked and winked at her.

"You shit". She whispered.

Guarnere grinned, "good source of protein, nut".

Jackson groaned again, "that's fucking horrible".

"Drink the damn water, Jack". He warned him, "put your fucking pill in – you'll be fine".

Finally, it was starting to feel a little normal again.

The sky was still clear.

And the men's morale was still up after their supply drop.

…

The mood shifted on Christmas Eve morning.

For one, Abbey didn't even realise it was Christmas Eve.

And it came as shock to her.

"Already?"

"Yup". Toye replied, "pretty weird, huh?"

And two, Lipton warned them of an attack.

They suspected the Germans were trying to break into their lines again. So, everyone was getting ready for a possible attack. Those were always the worst, waiting for something to happen. Abbey was behind Heffron and Al, who were on the machine-gun. Few yards back, Malarkey, Skip and Penkala were manning their mortar.

They suffered a few casualties.

One of them being Smokey.

He got shot in the left shoulder, the bullet came out from the right and brushed against his spinal column. He was paralyzed from the neck down. While Smokey was taken off the line and towards the aid station, the Germans continued to fire.

Abbey was at the front, firing out along with Heffron.

The most intense part was the German infantry.

Some of them came very close to their line.

Abbey had to shoot quietly and if it wasn't for Heffron next to her, she'd have been shot a few times. It was a close call for them all and heart stopping. Easy hammered them with bullets, machine-gun fire, grenades and were backed-up with artillery. Lipton counted thirty-eight dead Germans outside of their woods when the Germans eventually fell back.

Abbey sat up and wiped the blood off her face.

Heffron shook his head slowly.

"Jesus". He whispered, "pretty close".

"It was". She mumbled.

That same afternoon, Easy all lined up for something warm to eat.

Navy white beans.

The cooks did their best to keep the food as hot as possible but once it reached you, it was either warm or verging on cold. Still, food was food and they were hungry enough to eat cold beans. Abbey had a spoonful placed into her ration kit. Stepping away from the line, she brought out her metal spoon and stood beside a tree.

Winters was with them.

It was always reassuring to see their Captain.

But what's more, Colonel Sink soon came down in his jeep.

Lorraine gave Abbey a grin and a nod.

She frowned, though her lips formed a small smile.

It had been a while since she last saw Lorraine.

"Better than sitting down to a Christmas Eve dinner of turkey and hooch back at Division CP". Sink was telling Winters, while he walked over to them.

Abbey didn't know if she was supposed to be listening.

But Sink was talking loud enough for some to hear him.

"Dammed if I don't like old Joe Domingus's rancid-assed beans better". He said.

Abbey looked down at her serving of beans.

A turkey dinner sounded nice.

"Hello, Easy Company". Sink greeted them.

"Hello, sir". They greeted back.

Sink stood in front of Winters.

Abbey was standing close by.

Not intentionally.

Sink and Winters shook hands.

"Hello, sir". Their Captain greeted.

"General McAuliffe sent a message to the entire Division. I thought maybe your people would like to hear it". Sink said, bringing out a letter.

Winters had his arms crossed, keeping himself warm.

Or at least, trying to.

"Oh, that should be your prerogative, sir". Winters said to him politely.

"Fine". Sink responded, "Men – lady!"

Abbey frowned a little.

That was a first; she thought.

"General McAuliffe wishes us all a Merry Christmas". Sink started, "what's merry about all this, you ask? Just this. We've stopped cold everything that's been thrown at us from the north, east, south and west. Now, two days ago, the German commander demanded our honourable surrender to save the USA encircled troops from total annihilation. The German commander received the following reply; to the German commander, nuts!"

The men laughed quietly at that.

Even Abbey smiled a little.

"We're giving our country and our loved ones at home a worthy Christmas present, and being privileged to take part in this gallant feat of arms, we're truly making for ourselves…a merry Christmas". Sink folded up the letter and looked at the men, "merry Christmas to you all and God bless you".

"Merry Christmas, sir".

Though some men cheered gleefully;

"nuts, sir!"

But her smile slowly faded, when her eyes landed on Roe.

Their medic was leaning against a tree, eyes glazed over.

He hadn't touched his food.

Abbey placed her ration kit into Skips arms.

He'd finish them off for her.

"You'll make me puke, Abbey". He said, while she walked away.

When Abbey was standing in front of Roe, she wasn't exactly sure what to do next. But Abbey didn't like the look in his eyes. He looked drained, worn out and sick of seeing men get wounded and killed. It was no wonder Roe didn't make many close friends within Easy. There was always a risk one of them would be calling his name.

Abbey's hand went out for him.

The medic frowned, looking up at her.

She shrugged one shoulder.

"I wasn't very hungry either".

Pursing his lips together, Roe took her hand and she pulled him up.

Letting go of his hand, they went back inside her pockets.

Nodded towards the left, the pair of them walked away and headed back towards the line. The sky was starting to get heavy again, Abbey sensed more snow. Which put a damper on her mood because the last thing they needed, was more snow. For a few minutes, they walked in silence. The Germans weren't attacking, perhaps they planned to give them a night off. It was Christmas, after all. Abbey could only hope that was the case.

They ended up sitting down in a foxhole.

Abbey reached into her bag and brought out her blanket.

She wrapped it around them both.

It was already starting to get dark.

Four o'clock was closing in.

Roe might have wanted to be alone.

But Abbey was scared he'd get too cold sleeping alone in a foxhole. And the thought of him being alone when he felt sad, or whatever, sat heavy in her heart. Roe might not have wanted to make any friends in Easy but after everything he had done, it was hard not to be his friend.

Same went for Ralph.

The medic from South Philly. He was very close with Heffron.

Abbey leaned back against the frozen mud.

And Roe eventually wrapped his arm around her.

She was pulled into his side.

Without saying a single word to each other.

They both fell asleep.

…

** Boom! **

It was a good thing they were used to waking up to loud explosions, or else everyone would have died from a heart attack already. But nonetheless, it was still alarming. Abbey shot up and looked all around her.

What was going on?!

Another shell hit the earth.

Trees exploded.

Splinters and shrapnel flew everywhere.

It kept on coming.

Abbey looked over and saw Roe, who was curled up.

She wondered why he looked as stiff as a board.

But then heard someone call out for a medic.

"Doc!"

Abbey's eyes widened; it was Winters.

She moved over to Roe and gave his arm a shake.

"Gene!" She yelled, "come on – get up!"

The shells continued to fall around them.

The whole forest lit up like a fireworks display.

And Abbey flinched when one hit close by.

"Fucking hell". She muttered, one hand going on her helmet.

But thank God Heffron and Ralph came over.

"Come on, doc!" Heffron urged, reaching out for him.

"Is he hurt?!" Ralph asked.

"No!" Abbey replied, "but someone else is – Babe, get Gene up! I'll go and see!"

Once she was out of that foxhole, Abbey sprinted towards the Captain's calls for help.

There, she spotted Welsh.

He had been hit on the leg.

Winters, Nixon and Peacock were there.

And the remains of a small fire.

Abbey stared at the Lieutenant.

She had no idea what to do.

So, she made her way over to them and helped apply pressure towards Welsh's wound. The Lieutenant was moaning and yelling out in pain. The shrapnel had chewed away at his skin, leaving a deep and bloody gash.

"It's okay, sir". Abbey said softly, "it's okay".

"Roe!" Winters yelled.

And soon, the medic was running towards them.

But Roe stopped so suddenly and stared at Welsh.

Her eyes went wide, she slowly looked at him.

_ Why wasn't he moving?! _

Winters was struggling to stem the bleeding.

He looked back at the medic, "Roe?"

And he snapped out of it. Abbey sighed in relief, while their medic got to work and began to get Welsh ready for the ride into town. After a shot of morphine and some sulphur powder, the jeep arrived to take Welsh to the aid station.

Abbey rubbed her bloodied hand against her trousers.

The medic sat quietly beside her.

"Eugene". Winters sat behind him, "get yourself into town, get a hot meal".

Soon, he was on the jeep with Welsh and heading into town.

She hoped the hot meal would help.

It usually did the trick.

Her eyes moved towards the small dead fire.

Abbey walked over to it and crouched down.

It wasn't hot anymore, but she could still smell the once burning wood. And while she sat there, a hoard of planes flew over them. Feeling her stomach turn, she looked up.

The Luftwaffe.

Abbey got back onto her feet.

A few minutes later, they could all hear the explosions.

They were bombing Bastogne.

Her heart sunk a little then.

They were going to lose Bastogne, which meant, they'd lose the aid station. All those people in town, all those wounded men. And there was nothing they could do to stop this bombardment.

Biting down on her lip, she turned around.

She met Winters eyes.

Abbey sighed quietly and looked up towards the sky.

It was turning orange.

Surrounded, and now, the Germans were bombing Bastogne.

Shaking her head, Abbey looked over at Winters.

"Merry Christmas, Captain Winters".


	46. Chapter 45

Conditions improved slightly when the encirclement broke.

The 101st were no longer surrounded.

All their wounded were evacuated, and they now had communications with the American supply dumps. As well as this, they were resupplied with ammunition, medical supplies and food. Patton's third Army broke through the German lines on Christmas day, after the Luftwaffe had their fun with bombing the town. And with the encirclement broken, Easy figured they'd head back to Mourmelon and perhaps, to celebrate New Year's in Paris. But unfortunately, they had to stay and hold the line.

"Abbey, we're clearing the woods tonight".

"On New Year's Day?"

Toye snorted.

He sat next to her and nodded.

"Yeah…they really like us, huh?"

"The snow is a foot deep". Abbey mumbled, "and it is still snowing".

"Like I said…they must really like us, Abbey".

She placed the rest of her clips into her webbing and pockets.

Toye brought out his packet of cigarettes.

He counted what was inside the packet.

"I smoke too much". He said.

Abbey got back on her feet.

She hated the snow.

Some of the men had longer coats now after the drop but a lot went without. Abbey included; she didn't have a winter coat for whatever reason. Neither did Toye. They mainly went to the replacements first; the rest just took what was left over.

Looking down, Abbey saw that her boot sunk right into the snow.

She sighed, "I can't wait until this white shit melts".

Toye grinned, while he puffed away on his cigarette.

Turning around, she started to walk away from the foxhole.

Abbey only took a few steps, when Lipton yelled at the top of his lungs;

"incoming!"

A few German planes flew over them.

And of course, they dropped their bombs on Easy Company.

There was this annoying noise while it fell.

When the bomb exploded, the noise intensified, and you couldn't hear yourself think. The ground shook so violently, that Abbey fell on the snow. Her hands went straight to her helmet, while she tried to save her head from exploding or getting hit by falling shrapnel.

Abbey never screamed for help.

But Toye ran to her anyway.

On his run, a bit of shrapnel sliced into his wrist.

Toye cursed and grabbed his wrist, while he dropped down beside Abbey.

She turned to face him and saw the look of pain cross his face.

Abbey groaned and wrapped her arm around his back.

"Third time, Joe!" She yelled above the noise.

Toye didn't look impressed.

He was pissed off to be hit again.

When the planes flew passed them, Abbey sat up and grabbed Toye's wrist.

There was a lot of blood.

She turned her head, "medic!"

Toye sighed, "hey…don't make a fuss-"

"stop it, Joe". Abbey mumbled, while she applied pressure to his wound. "I will make a huge fuss over you".

He huffed out a tiny laugh.

"Man, don't I feel special".

She gave her head a shake.

Toye would need to head back to the aid station for this wound.

And Abbey hated when he wasn't around.

Her Sargent sighed, "guess I'll be seeing you…in all the old familiar places-"

"please, don't sing".

He chuckled.

Abbey's lips twitched.

"But you do sound very good out here". She admitted, "our lack of radios makes your voice sound ten times better than it actually is".

Toye smiled.

"Thank you, Abbey".

She gave a little nod.

"Okay".

When Roe came down, he got Bain to call in for a jeep to take him into town. Just like Abbey thought. And she didn't know how long Toye would be gone for. Taking his good hand, she helped him stand up.

"You lucky son of a bitch". Malarkey said to him.

"I'll be back, Malark". Toye assured his friend.

And just like the other two times, he left for the aid station.

…

After the "one-thousand-yard attack", the men dug in and created a line.

They had some intense machine-gun fire from the Germans and occasional shells, so, the men cut down branches to place on top of their foxholes for extra cover. Abbey made sure the squad were digging themselves in, she helped them out with cutting down the branches. Heffron was waiting a few yards back from their outpost, Abbey put him on next for duty.

For the most part, it was a quiet affair.

The men were digging in, they didn't suffer greatly during that attack through the woods. And they were getting closer to clearing out the entire area. German patrols were still an issue, but they managed to push them back a lot easier now, they had more ammo.

"Abbey, come here a second".

Putting the shovel down, Abbey made her way over to Buck.

"Sir?" She asked.

The Lieutenant handed her a slip of paper.

"Give this to the Captain, would you?" He asked.

Nodding, Abbey took the paper and placed it inside her pocket.

Buck then sighed, "and while you're there, tell Lieutenant Dike I'm looking for him".

She bobbed her head.

"Yes…if I see him".

He snorted and gave her arm a little nudge.

"Cut the crap, sport – get it done nicely".

Abbey gave him a tiny smile.

"Very good, sir".

Turning around, she walked away from Buck.

Battalion CP was a few yards back from their line.

Just like last time, it was behind Easy.

Abbey stuffed her hands into her pockets, still trying to keep warm and move as quickly as possible. The snow was falling thick. And it had gotten a lot colder. It got colder every day. January was going to be a terrible month; they were already experiencing horrible temperature drops during the night and in the early morning.

"You should always-"

She stopped walking.

Hands quickly exiting her pocket, Abbey took hold of her rifle and turned towards the voice. Her eye went straight towards the sight, where she soon spotted her target. Only, her target just happened to be Lieutenant Speirs. He smirked and slowly raised his hands.

"I was only going to make a suggestion, Private".

Frowning, Abbey lowered her rifle.

"Sir?" She asked quietly.

Speirs lowered his hands.

He then walked over to her.

"Your rifle would be more useful, if it wasn't across your shoulder".

Rubbing her lips together, Abbey shrugged one shoulder.

"My hands were cold, sir".

It was a lame reply.

But it made Speirs smirk again.

"Acceptable answer, Private".

She continued to frown.

"Thanks". Abbey mumbled.

Clearing his throat, the Lieutenant stopped by her side.

"Are you heading to Battalion CP?"

Abbey nodded, "are you, sir?"

"I am, yes". Speirs responded, "we should…walk together".

Her eyes looked in front of her.

Abbey took in a breath and nodded.

"Okay, sir". She mumbled.

Speirs didn't seem like a bad person. Abbey just found him odd.

He seemed quiet. Maybe he didn't know what to say.

And he looked serious, ninety-five percent of the time.

But then, so did Abbey.

Speirs brought out a packet of cigarettes.

He took two out, offering one to her.

Abbey shook her head.

"No thank you, sir".

Speirs snorted quietly.

He put one cigarette back, the other going between his lips. Bringing out his lighter, he lit the cigarette. Abbey heard him let out a tiny content sigh, once Speirs took in that first drag.

"So…you know of the rumours?"

Her eyebrows twitched.

She shook her head.

"I don't, sir".

Speirs raised an eyebrow.

"That's surprising". He mumbled, "surely, it must have circulated to you, no?"

Abbey shook her head again.

"Maybe I wasn't listening, sir".

Biting her bottom lip, Abbey looked at the Lieutenant.

Speirs took in another drag, the smoke exited out of his mouth and nose.

She looked away from him, facing the front again.

"It has something to do with cigarettes, sir?"

"What makes you say that, Private?"

Abbey gestured towards his cigarette.

"You mentioned it when I declined your offer, sir".

Speirs smirked again, "you're observant, huh?"

"No, sir". She mumbled, "it was just obvious".

There was a small pause between them.

And Speirs looked at her.

"You 'wanna know the rumour?"

Abbey wasn't bothered.

She never paid much attention to rumours.

"Will it change my life, sir?"

Speirs pulled a face.

He looked away from her, "well…no, Private".

"Then you don't have to share if you don't want to, sir".

Speirs looked at her again.

Abbey was still facing the front.

He smiled a little and nodded.

"Alright". He mumbled.

They had reached Battalion CP.

Abbey could see Winters and Nixon sitting under a canopy.

Speirs cleared his throat.

"Good luck, Private".

Abbey frowned.

_ Wasn't he going to CP as well? _

But he wasn't.

Speirs walked away from her and turned back towards the line. Abbey watched him leave for a few moments, before she moved towards the canopy and ducked under. Saluting the two officers, she then reached into her pocket and brought out the slip of paper.

"From Lieutenant Compton, sir".

"Thank you, Abbey".

Winters looked cold.

They all looked cold, but he looked especially cold that day.

Abbey didn't know what to do now.

Dike wasn't around, she had handed Winters the letter.

She figured she'd better head back and help out with digging foxholes.

And Abbey was about to announce her departure, but Winters smiled and looked at her. She couldn't help but frown back at him, with a little smile. The Captain stood up and put the letter aside and out of curiosity, Nixon picked it up to see why his friend was suddenly smiling.

"You've been recommended, Abbey".

That furthered her confusion.

_ For what? _

"Sir?" Abbey asked quietly.

Winters was still smile.

"And I approve". He went on, "I think Sargent Toye would be very lucky to have you as his assistant squad leader".

Abbey's eyes widened slightly.

"Corporal, sir?" But her voice was quiet.

"That's right". Winters confirmed happily, "you should hear back within a day, Abbey. I don't see why they would refuse this promotion recommendation".

He took the letter from his friend, who always shared a smile.

"It seems your Platoon agrees with Toye's decision".

She closed her mouth.

Abbey hadn't realised it opened in shock.

Clearing her throat, she gave him a little nod.

"Okay, sir".

Winters smiled again, "congratulations, Corporal".

…

Abbey was in a bit of a daze when she got back to the line.

Her, a Corporal.

It was hard to process.

And there was a little smile on her face when she walked back, because Toye trusted her enough to be his assistant squad leader and that meant an awful lot to Abbey. But that smile left her face, when she saw Lipton and Buck run towards a cry for a medic. And she quickened her pace, before she was full on sprinting to see what had happened.

It was Hoobler.

He was lying on the snow, squirming around in pain.

Blood was seeping out of his trousers, under many layers of clothes.

For a moment, Abbey only stood there and stared.

But then Lipton noticed her.

"Get a medic!" He ordered her loudly.

She blinked a few times.

_A medic. _

Turning back around, Abbey ran off again.

She had no idea where the medics were.

"Bill – where's the medic?!" Abbey was yelling and continued to run.

The Platoon Sargent frowned, watching her go.

"Check with 3rd!" He called after her. "What's going on?!"

"Hoobs has been hit!"

It felt like a strike of luck when she eventually bumped into Roe.

And before he could walk on, Abbey grabbed his arm.

"Follow me!" Abbey told him.

It was a relief when Roe was on scene.

"Sargent, move. Let me see!"

Abbey got down beside Hoobler.

She watched the medic ripped open the many layers, which covered his wound.

"Can't we get him some blankets or something?" Hashey asked.

"How is he, doc?" Perconte then asked the medic.

Abbey rubbed her lips together.

She could see so much blood.

"Keep talking to him". Roe said to him.

Reaching over, she pressed her hand down above the wound, while the medic tried to find the open wound. It was getting dark; it was hard to see, and Roe couldn't turn on his flashlight. That would risk another shelling. Licking her bottom lip, Abbey got up and walked towards the medic. She got down next to him and brought out her bayonet.

Abbey started to rip more of his clothing away, up from the bleeding.

She hoped this would help Roe locate the wound.

"Can you see it?" The medic asked.

Abbey dropped her bayonet and wiped away the blood on Hoobler's leg.

More appeared.

Sighing, she shook her head.

"I can't see anything". She mumbled.

"Hold on, hold on!" Buck was taking off his coat, "put this across him".

Roe nodded, "wrap him up".

"Hang in there, Hoob". Lipton said to him.

She added pressure on his leg again.

"Hey, Lip?" Hoobler called weakly, "you said I was a great shot?"

Abbey frowned and looked over at their 1st Sargent.

"You are". He responded, "you're a great shot".

Hoobler was shaking.

He was pale, lips turning a horrible shade of blue.

"I can't see a thing!" Roe exclaimed, "we've 'gotta get him back to the aid station!"

But Abbey saw Buck's fingers go to the side of Hoobler's neck.

Her eyes closed.

And her hand moved away from his leg.

"Doc". Buck said quietly.

"I can't see a thing!"

"Doc". He called, more firmly this time.

Everyone went quiet.

Collectively, they felt sick with a hurting heart.

Losing another Toccoa man.

Another man who ran up Currahee with Sobel.

And another pole straight went through their hearts.


	47. Chapter 46

It was another freezing night.

The morale was down, the men were sick to the back teeth of snow and losing friends. One Lieutenant had enough of everything. He reached his breaking point and ended up taking off his boot and sock, exposing his foot to frostbite. Some of the guys from other companies shot themselves in the foot, just to get off the line. Temptation to do that was high. But even then, not a lot of men in Easy broke.

A Luger went off in Hoobler's trousers, shooting him in the leg.

The bullet hit his main artery.

It was tragic.

They all felt the heavy feeling of loss.

Hoobler was one of the most liked guys in the Company.

Abbey decided to go on outpost that night and give the men a break.

She was right on the line, staring out.

Her hands were under her armpits, shoulders hiked up to cover her frozen ears.

It was such a horribly cold night.

Every time she breathed out; white mist would appear from her mouth.

It looked like she was smoking.

"Abbey".

Because it had been such a quiet night, she jumped.

Turning her head around quickly, Abbey's eyes followed Buck, who was soon getting into the outpost with her. Their Lieutenant got himself comfortable and rubbed his hands together, before blowing into them. Abbey faced the front again, letting the nerves she had previously felt settle.

"Pretty cold tonight". Buck commented, "you here for long?"

Abbey had no idea how long she was here for.

It could end up being all night.

"Few hours, sir". Abbey decided to tell him.

He nodded in approval, happy with that answer.

"Not all night, huh?" Buck said to her lightly, "you'll freeze out here".

"Okay, sir".

Abbey figured she'd freeze just about anywhere.

He cleared his throat.

And he opened and closed his mouth a few times, as if meaning to say something but quickly changing his mind. Abbey found that to be a little odd. Buck was never one to second guess himself. He had always been extremely confident, in the best way possible. Looking at him, Abbey gave the officer a small smile.

His lips twitched in return.

"Don't do anything stupid now, Abbey". Buck warned her lowly, "that Lugar – it went off in his pants, I don't want nothing like that happening to you".

Her eyebrows twitched.

He seemed more serious, somehow.

But then again, everyone was getting more serious.

The longer they spent in these woods, the more they wanted out.

So, Abbey settled his own nerves.

"I'll be careful, sir". She whispered, "I promise".

She just didn't know how "careful" a Paratrooper could be behind enemy lines.

…

The next morning brought the news that Lieutenant Peacock won a ticket home back to the States for thirty days. Nixon had won the lottery but passed his winnings on to someone else from the Company. He didn't want to leave the line; Peacock didn't seem to have an issue and the men didn't mind much either.

Peacock tried hard, no one tried harder.

But he wasn't a good leader.

"Should have given them two passes". Jackson said to her quietly, "one for him, the other for foxhole Norman".

Abbey snorted softly.

"Yeah". She mumbled, "then Buck would be in charge – or Shames".

"Here's hoping for Buck, huh?"

Giving her head a little shake, Abbey got onto her feet.

"Jack". She said, "let's get the squad together. 2nd and 3rd are heading back to our original positions at Foy this afternoon". Abbey told him, "I need to make sure we have everything ready to go at the word".

"That's good and all, Abbey". Jackson said, "but who the hell are those guys?"

Frowning, she followed his nod.

Abbey pulled a face.

"Are those cameras?" She mumbled.

"Looks like it". Jackson confirmed, "they filming us or something?"

She shrugged, "maybe".

Abbey saw a couple of guys standing in front of a camera and giving it a large smile and a wave. One of them happened to Popeye, the other was Skip. The cameraman was encouraging them to smile more, to give the people at home a sense of peace, that the soldiers were doing just fine.

Which was far from the truth.

Clearing her throat, Abbey picked up her rifle.

"Okay". She mumbled, "let's get everything ready".

When Abbey was sure things were all packed up, they all headed towards the chow line. More navy beans. But this time, cameramen and reporters were following after them, watching their every move. It was fairly annoying. Every time she moved; a camera followed after her.

"Just one moment". The reporter said.

Abbey stopped walking.

She turned around and looked at the man, who had told her to stop.

"Yes?" She asked, well, grumbled.

The reporter gave her this smile.

But the smile annoyed Abbey.

She dug her hands back inside her pockets.

"How're you coping, solider?"

Rubbing her lips together, she looked down at her boots.

They were covered in snow.

Lifting her head, she noticed the reporter was layered up.

Heavy coat, woolly hat and thick gloves.

Abbey frowned.

She'd love to wear all those layers.

"Soldier?" The reporter asked again, letting out a nervous sort of laugh.

Sighing quietly, her eyes wondered passed the reporter.

And soon, a smile reached her lips, replacing the frown.

"Joe". Abbey said, though her smile.

The reporter frowned, "Joe?"

"Joe!" She yelled.

Abbey walked away from the cameraman and reporter.

And, hearing his name, Toye's head lifted.

He smiled back at her, while he took off the sling around his shoulder.

Abbey stood in front of him.

She was still smiling.

Because God, she had missed him.

"How are you?" She asked.

Toye never answered, he wrapped his arms around her instead, hugging her tightly.

Abbey hugged him back, face pressed up against his chest.

"I'm fine". He told her.

"No, you took off a sling". She said, "you are not better".

A few feet behind them, Winters smirked.

Toye sighed and pulled back, looking at her.

"No worrying, alright?" He said, "sick of people hovering over me".

She frowned.

"That will be impossible to avoid". Abbey mumbled, "I don't think we'll ever leave your side".

He smiled, "well, you guys are an exception".

"And you are happy to be back?"

Toye looked around him.

The men were lining up for some hot food.

They were eating, talking and enjoying each other's company.

Just like they usually would.

"Yeah – I am".

Abbey wrapped her arm around him.

"Let's get you something to eat, Joe". She said to him, "and also…thank you".

Toye frowned, "for what?"

Abbey looked at him.

"Winters is going to promote me to Corporal. Looks like I am your new assistant".

That got him smiling more.

His arm went over her shoulders.

"Proud of you, Abbey". He said to her, "glad you're my assistant".

"Glad to have you as my boss".

They stood in the line, where Guarnere greeted Toye back.

"Hey, Joe".

"Hey, Bill".

The two friends smiled and shook hands.

"Good to see you, pal". Guarnere said.

"You too".

"What the hell you doing back here?"

Abbey smiled a little.

Toye smirked, while he squeezed Abbey's shoulder.

"I had to make sure you were on top of things".

Guernere gave him a half smile, "I'm on top of thing. Tied me own boots once last week".

The three of them walked further up the line.

Abbey diverted away from the line and walked over to Lipton.

Their first Sargent gave Toye a smile, when he saw his return.

It was great to have their squad leader back.

Jackson, Heffron and Liebgott were very happy to see him.

Abbey watched the men greet Toye after escaping the aid station. She felt a bit of hope, that perhaps things would be okay, now that they had their squad leader back. The world didn't feel right, when Toye wasn't beside her. He was her best friend and someone she cared for a lot.

…

They reached their old position overlooking Foy just before dark.

But it was frightening.

The Germans had them zeroed in.

There were shell holes, tree bursts and branches all around their foxholes. 1st Battalion had the hell shelled out of them. And many of men didn't leave their foxholes – for anything, as Toye soon found out when he stepped into a pile of-

"someone took a shit in my foxhole!"

Abbey grimaced.

She knelt down and looked into hers.

Thankfully, she was safe.

Abbey sighed and got back onto her feet.

"I think they took a shit in everyone's foxhole, Joe". Guarnere said, "I don't think they wanted to spend much time above ground".

Abbey could see arms and limbs hanging from the trees.

As well as frozen guts on the snow.

"We've 'gotta reinforce our cover". Lipton told them.

"Guys get your men together". Buck told them, "get them all chipping at their foxholes. We need better cover".

Soon, the men were cutting down branches from trees.

Abbey had a pile of branches in her arms, while she helped with Heffron and Al.

She set them down by their foxhole.

"Thanks, Abbey". Heffron gave her a smile, "good collection".

Abbey gave him a nod.

"I will gather more for Jack now".

And she was back at it, cutting down branches.

"Looks like the Krauts have been pounding this area with pretty big stuff; 88's. I'd say they got this whole stretch of line targeted". Lipton was telling a few officers.

Abbey looked over at them curiously.

Dike was there too. Only, he wasn't standing in the circle they had created. Dike was standing away from them.

And it was strange seeing their CO.

Abbey hadn't seen him for a while.

"Well, they're not shelling now". Shames pointed out. "Maybe they've got a new target-"

"No, they're just waiting". Lipton said to him.

"For what?"

"For us to re-occupy the position". Buck responded.

"Maybe we should fall back to a different location, dig in". Shames suggested.

"No, it's our job to hold the line here". Lipton murmured. "We've got pretty good foxholes. We just need to fortify the covers". He added kindly.

Lieutenant Foley cut in, "if they've got us targeted, maybe-"

"we hold the line here". Buck interrupted, "Sargent Lipton's right. We're 'gonna strengthen our covers and hang in. We're not 'gonna fall back".

Abbey felt her heart swell.

They were so lucky to have Buck as a Lieutenant and Lipton as their 1st Sargent.

And Buck gave his head a little shake.

Dike was leaning against a tree, in a world of his own.

"Right, Lieutenant?" Buck asked, loud enough for him to hear.

Dike looked over, "hm?" He wondered.

And Buck was smiling.

"Right, Lieutenant?"

"Fine". Dike responded, "you take care of it".

And then, their Commanding Officer looked at his watch.

"I 'gotta go talk to Regiment".

Dike left.

He didn't have a clue.

Abbey bit down on her lip, shaking her head.

Her axe slammed against one of the branches.

_Prick. _

The branch fell down.

Abbey placed the axe in her bag and picked up the fallen branches on the ground.

She could have used a glass of whiskey after hearing Dike's response.

That man really didn't care about this Company.

Abbey was making her way back towards Jackson.

Her feet crunched against the snow, while new snow fell from the sky.

In the distance, across the field, she could hear a faint explosion.

Frowning, she turned towards the noise.

"Incoming!" Lipton hollered.

And all the branches dropped from her hands.

_ Not again. _


	48. Chapter 47

That first blast was horrendous.

It was the most intense amount of fire power they had ever experienced.

Everything was shaking, the ground, the trees and the men.

Abbey could see them all run towards cover, but they were trembling and wobbly because of the impact. It sent her straight to her knees and the next blast, sent her on her belly. Abbey was a lying target – a sitting duck. She was out in the open, vulnerable to a shell. She couldn't hear a thing. Men could have been screaming for a medic, but she couldn't hear.

Abbey couldn't see much either.

Just flying dirt, snow, branches and limbs.

Her fingers went into the snow.

She started to pull herself forward.

Abbey could see a foxhole; it wasn't far from her.

But it was so hard to reach it.

The Germans were relentless.

Their firepower was unreal.

It was like a fireworks display, times one thousand.

The sky was lighting up, things were spewing up from impact. And it was hard to concentrate on what to do next. Abbey's only reminder was that hole in the ground. When she got there, it would be fine, and she'd be safe. And Abbey didn't know how but she managed to crawl and fall into that foxhole, which had been calling out her name since that first shell.

From there, Abbey curled up.

Her hands went over her ears, she closed her eyes.

All she could do now was wait.

The Germans would stop eventually, they always did.

But that was their enemy's way of warning them of what was to come. It was frightening, that they had been waiting for Easy to re-occupy their old positions. As if they were lions, waiting on for their meal.

She was aware of things falling on top of her.

It was mostly bits of trees, snow and dirt.

Nothing serious.

Abbey was glued to the ground, not daring to look.

Her ears were not well protected by her hands, she could still hear and feel every single explosion and scream, while the shells flew in the air before landing on the ground. Being in a nightmare didn't even come close, this was pure torture. Abbey was biting down on her lip, hard enough to draw blood.

She _hated_ this.

And it felt like it lasted for hours, maybe even days.

Not minutes.

When it did end, everything was so quiet.

The only sound was the wind, which sounded like wailing ghosts.

And distant explosions, or a call for medic, getting swept away by the wind.

Abbey slowly pulled herself towards the edge of the foxhole and looked over.

She could see a lot of tree bursts and massive holes in the ground.

Her hands were placed on the top, fingers pressing against the dirt and snow.

Abbey could see a few heads and wide eyes.

She couldn't see anyone lying on the ground.

Abbey felt a tiny wash of relief.

Maybe no one got hurt?

_ "…'gotta get up". _

Her eyes glazed over, head tilting to the side.

Abbey frowned.

She wondered if she just imagined that voice.

"I 'gotta get up…".

She listened closely.

Because that voice sounded very familiar.

Abbey rubbed her ears.

"I need help!"

And her eyes widened.

_ Joe._

Pulling herself up, Abbey was soon out of her foxhole.

"Joe!" She called, trying to work out where his voice came from. "Joe!"

There was a moment of silence.

Abbey felt her whole body go tense.

"I need my helmet!" Toye yelled back. "I need my helmet!"

She took off into a run, trying to find his calls for help.

"I need help!"

"Yes!" Abbey called back, "I am coming, Joe!"

The problem was, his calls for help echoed throughout the forest.

Abbey ran one way and went the next.

She couldn't find him anywhere, but she could still hear him.

Eventually, she just stood there, looking all around her.

"Joe!" Abbey yelled, "I can't find you! Where are you?!"

Rubbing her lips together, she stood still and listened for a response.

A head popped up from a foxhole.

"Abbey!"

It was Luz.

"Hey – get the fuck in here!"

She shook her head.

"No". Abbey said, "I have to find Joe".

"He'll be fine-"

"you don't know that!"

And Luz was a little taken-a-back by the sharpness in her voice.

Abbey took in a deep breath and turned to face Luz.

"You would do the same". She mumbled.

"Yeah, I would". He said, "and you'd stop me – get the fuck in here".

"Luz, you-"

"incoming!" Came Lipton's yell.

The Germans weren't finished.

They let out another round of fierce firepower, harder than before.

Luz didn't even wait, he grabbed her and pulled her into the foxhole.

And Abbey couldn't escape capture, the ground was shaking too much to move and Luz had a tight grip on her, preventing Abbey from squirming away. So, she stayed put. The pair of them took cover in that foxhole, Luz had a grip on her arm, her hand on his jacket.

**Boom! Boom! **

It felt like it would never end.

Abbey's ears were ringing, and her head ached.

Letting go of Luz, she covered her ears like last time.

_ It can't get any worse;_ she thought.

And it ended again.

The second round didn't last as long as the first.

Abbey sighed, while she and Luz looked over the edge.

"Lip!" Luz yelled.

Abbey watched, while the 1st Sargent's head appeared out from the foxhole across from them. He looked at the pair of them, a concerned yet dazed look about him.

"Are you two okay?!"

Luz gave him the thumbs up.

Abbey looked at him, before doing the same gesture.

Lipton gave them both a nod.

"Stay down!" Their Company Sargent yelled, in case anyone else tried to get up. "You stay down!"

"1st Sargent Lipton!"

A very loud and frightened voice cut in.

Luz and Abbey followed the voice.

It was Lieutenant Dike.

He looked a mess and wasn't wearing his helmet or carrying a weapon.

"You get things organized here!" Dike told him, "I'm 'gonna go for help!"

Having your Commanding Officer leave during such a critical moment, was a low point.

Abbey felt her stomach drop.

_ What had they done to deserve that? _

But that moment washed away pretty quickly.

Because she remembered Toye.

Abbey pulled herself out from the foxhole.

Lipton quickly got out after.

"Lip, where the fuck's he going?" Luz asked, not believe that Dike had abandoned them.

Lipton ran over to them.

"I don't know". Lipton replied, "listen, get Battalion on the line, tell them to notify BAS".

Lipton then looked at Abbey.

"Get back down, Abbey". He ordered her.

She felt horrible.

Abbey never once could have imagined disobeying an order.

Especially from Lipton.

"I'm sorry". She mumbled, with a frown. "I have to – Joe…".

And before Lipton could say anything, she was already off.

Abbey ran as fast as she could, trying to locate her friend.

She didn't think she'd ever find him.

Not a lot of men were getting out of their foxholes yet and rightly so, the Germans could attack them again, for a third time. And while on her run, she managed to catch sight of Liebgott, Al, Heffron and Jackson, who were all fine.

"Joe!"

Abbey tried calling for him again, hoping he'd respond.

"Joe!"

But a noise soon turned her blood cold.

"Medic!"

It was Buck.

Abbey paled and stopped running.

That didn't sound good.

Buck had screamed, sounding words beyond distressed.

Slowly, her head turned to the right.

She saw some fallen branches.

Abbey felt her stomach turn, knowing that whatever was behind those branches, wasn't going to be anything good but she had to know. Chewing on her bottom lip, Abbey stepped over the fallen branches and soon came to a small clearing.

The first person she saw was Buck.

His helmet was on the ground.

A hand went through his hair.

And his haunted blue eyes were fixed upon something.

Abbey looked down, where she spotted a trail of blood.

Her body started to shake, while she followed the blood.

Her legs started to move forwards, without her telling them to do so. Abbey walked very slowly, eyes never leaving the ground. And she stopped, when her eyes were met with flesh and torn up fabric from his trousers.

Two troopers lay tangled up in the snow.

Neither of them made a sound.

Abbey fell onto her knees.

Her hands landed on his leg.

Very carefully, she began to untangle them both.

And she was aware who the two men were.

But Abbey couldn't say their names, she didn't want this to be real.

One had lost his leg, while the other man's leg was barely attached.

When he was pulled off from the other man, Abbey placed her hand on the side of his face. She wiped away the ash, dirt and blood from his cheek, eyelids and mouth. And his eyes soon opened, with a tiny and short gasp.

"Abbey". He breathed out.

She hushed him.

"Don't speak, not just yet". Abbey whispered.

He exhaled.

"God…you heard me".

Abbey nodded.

"I will always hear you, Joe".

Toye let out a tiny groan.

"My fucking leg…".

"Don't worry". She said, "your face is still ugly".

"Hey…". Toye's lips twitched.

It was amazing, really.

He was so calm and composed.

Abbey would have been screaming if that was her.

"I am only kidding". She whispered.

"I know". Toye murmured.

"Jesus Christ". Guarnere soon hissed from behind them.

The next person to arrive on sight was Roe.

He came running right towards them.

"Abbey – apply pressure here".

Abbey had hold of a towel and held it tightly against Toye's destroyed leg.

He flinched but didn't scream out.

"Okay, good". Roe said, "don't take your hand away – Sargent Guarnere, let me see you".

"Hey, Abbey". Toye whispered.

She looked at him.

"Will it get better?"

Abbey swallowed back the lump in her throat.

Toye was referring to the roof.

That night in London, when Abbey found him on the roof.

_ "…things get better". _

_ "Did they for you?" _

_ "They did when I arrived in Toccoa. When you became my friend and squad leader". _

She felt her eyes sting, burning with unleashed tears.

"Joe". Abbey whispered.

Licking her bottom lip, she looked down at the towel, which was turning red from blood.

"I promise you". She said, "that if you continue to find good, then good will happen. And if you carry on fighting this battle, then you will win".

Toye blinked a few times.

His eyes looked up towards the sky.

Malarkey soon joined them.

"Let me take over, Abbey".

Once his hands were on the towel and applying pressure, Abbey moved up towards Toye's head and she grabbed his hand, he squeezed back tightly. The two of them locked eyes. And they held that stare. They didn't have to tell each other how shit this was. They didn't have to tell each other how much they'd miss one another. But Toye had to know this.

"I love you". Abbey told him softly.

His smile shook.

Toye swallowed and gave her a nod.

"Give me a cigarette, Malark".

Malarkey took one out of his pocket and lit it with one hand, before passing it to Toye.

"Hey, Lip!" Guarnere called, "they got old Guarnere this time".

No one could actually believe this was happening.

How were they losing two Sargent's?

"Jesus, Malark". Toye hissed, "what's a guy 'gotta do to get killed around here?"

Malarkey shook his head.

"I don't know, Joe". He whispered.

And then there was Jackson.

He came charging down that opening and stopped a jeep.

"Take these men!" He demanded.

The driver declined.

"Sorry, I've 'gotta get this ammo to-"

"take these fucking men!" Jackson yelled and held up his rifle.

Toye raised an eyebrow.

Abbey nodded her head in approval.

"I did good with Jack, huh?" The Sargent mused.

Soon, more help arrived.

Guarnere was placed onto a stretcher.

Abbey got onto her feet and walked over to him.

She wanted to see the man before he left.

They shared some fond and brilliant memories.

Getting locked up in jail – escaping from jail.

And Abbey learned a lot from Guarnere.

One of the most important lessons was; that it was good to be a bit nutty.

Guarnere held his hand up, Abbey grabbed his hand with hers.

He gave her a nod, "see you around, nut".

"Thanks for sticking up for me". Abbey said to him.

Guarnere smirked, "hey – us nuts, we 'gotta look out for each other, huh?"

"Then I'll always look out for you, Wild Bill".

It was hard seeing him leave.

But Abbey didn't know what she was going to do without Toye.

When he was up on a stretcher, she followed him towards the jeep.

Malarkey gave him another cigarette and gave one to Guarnere as well.

Biting down on her lip, Abbey leaned down and placed her head onto Toye's chest.

His hand went to her back.

"Don't be sad, Abbey". He told her softly, "I'll write to you soon".

Her eyes closed.

Abbey took in a deep breath.

Her head went off from his chest, she gave him a wobbly smile.

"Okay". Abbey whispered.

Malarkey placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Take care of each other". Toye told them.

But before the jeep could speed off, Buck soon came over.

He didn't look right.

Abbey felt her gut tighten.

Without saying a word, the Lieutenant got into the jeep.

Malarkey and Abbey took a step back.

And off they went.

Buck, Guarnere and Toye.

A Lieutenant, Platoon Sargent and a squad Sargent.

"What the hell happens now?" Malarkey whispered, speaking for everyone.

Turning around, her eyes were met with bloodied snow.

Abbey felt her chest tighten and her heart reach her throat.

Men walked around not knowing what to do.

Some of them even cried.

It was hopeless.

Abbey felt hopeless.

And she started to run.

Abbey leaped over fallen trees and branches.

Until she came to a skidding stop, at the edge of the woods.

It was insane, she had totally lost it.

But she was so mad.

Her stomach was burning with rage, eyes glazed over in red. And her body was shaking. She had never felt anything like it before. Nelson tripped her up, she'd fall in the mud, but this was so different. She hated those men across the field.

She fucking _hated_ them.

"I fucking – HATE YOU!"

The scream came out of nowhere.

It hurt her throat.

Abbey let out a shaky breath, which choked on the lump in her throat.

A trembling hand rubbed the back of her neck.

Her bottom lip quivered, and tears filled her eyes.

She was so angry.

The Germans didn't care.

Abbey blinked; a tear rolled down her cheek.

They didn't bother that soldier who was standing at the edge of the forest, ready to run out to that field and start shooting. Because that's what she wanted to do. Just run and shoot everyone in that little town. But she didn't.

Instead, Abbey sat down and leaned against a tree the Germans didn't hit.

Head resting against the bark, she continued to look across the field.

Maybe she just wanted to get hit now.

Abbey closed her eyes.

The temptation of giving up was so strong.

Even for her.


	49. Chapter 48

_Sitting down in her foxhole, Abbey could hear the guy behind her crying. _

_ She was cleaning her rifle, with not much else to do. _

_ Abbey walked away from the edge of the forest, when someone asked for help. It was a medic, they needed help with more wounded men, and she didn't want to be selfish and sit and cry. Toye wouldn't have wanted her to do that. As much as Abbey would love to have a moment to herself, just to process what happened hours ago – she couldn't._

_ Malarkey had a lot of weight on his shoulders. _

_ With Buck and Guarnere gone, it was up to him to lead 2nd Platoon. _

_ The morale had dropped. _

_ Men felt like hope had gone. _

_ Abbey didn't see the point. _

_ Dike was off taking a walk; they had lost three of their best men. _

_ And she lost her best friend. _

_ Abbey didn't know if Toye would even make it and that killed her inside. She was so scared of hearing news that he never made it, that he passed away when he reached the aid station. She had to know. For Guarnere too. It was a pressing weight and fear against her chest. _

_ She didn't even see the point in cleaning her rifle. _

_ It was just something to do. _

_ "Hey, buddy". _

_ Lipton jumped into her foxhole. _

_ He sat down next to her, watching Abbey clean her rifle with a red rag. _

_ "You busy?" _

_ Abbey shook her head. _

_ Lipton gave his head a nod. _

_ "Oh, good". He murmured, "cause – uh – Captain Winters wants to see you". _

_ Her hand stilled. _

_ Abbey stopped cleaning. _

_ "Why?" She mumbled. _

_ Lipton shrugged, "not sure, Abbey. Guess you'll just have to see for yourself". _

_ Licking her lips, she tucked the rag back into her bag. _

_ "I am fine". Abbey said. _

_ He frowned. _

_ "It's okay, Abbey". He said to her, "everyone needs a-"_

_ "I don't need a break". Abbey hissed. _

_ Lipton paused. _

_ He sighed quietly. They always looked out for signs of breaking. And they were worried about Abbey now, no one wanted her to fall apart. _

_ "Abbey". He mumbled softly, "just a few minutes". _

_ She ran a hand down her face. _

_ "I just need my-"_

Best friend back.

_ Abbey swallowed back the lump in her throat. _

_ She gave her head a shake, "I don't need a break, Lip". _

_ "It's one hour off the line". Lipton told her lowly, "you'll get to see Joe and Bill". _

_ Her face fell. _

_ She'd get to see them again. _

_ "Before…before they leave?" Abbey asked, in a small voice. _

_ He gave her a nod and squeezed her shoulder. _

_ "That's right, Abbey". _

_ Shouldering her rifle, she quickly climbed out from the foxhole. _

_ Abbey began the walk towards Battalion CP. _

_ Her mind was racing. _

_ She was going to see them again. _

_ She was going to see Toye, one more time. _

_ That's all she could think about, while jogging towards the canopy. _

_ Winters was there, talking to someone on the radio. Abbey ducked under the roof and waited. Not very patiently. Her foot tapped against the ground, fingers drumming against her leg. When Winters put down the radio, Abbey straightened herself up and saluted their Captain. _

_ "Good to see you, trooper". He greeted, in his usual warm voice. "How are-"_

_ "I get to see them, sir?" _

_ She didn't mean to cut him off. _

_ But Abbey just had to be sure. _

_ Winters still looked kindly towards her. _

_ He nodded towards the road, "jeeps waiting for you". _

_ It didn't feel real. _

_ Abbey was sure this was a dream. _

_ But she jumped into that jeep and they drove off down the road and towards Bastogne. The aid station wasn't inside, it was outside in a churchyard. All the wounded men were lined up in stretchers, sectioned off depending on how severe their wounds were. Right away, Abbey spotted Guarnere first, who was next to a man who had lost both of his arms._

_ She ran right over to Guarnere. _

_ "Bill!" _

_ And her Platoon Sargent smiled, just a little. _

_ "Back so soon, nut?" _

_ Abbey grabbed his hand. _

_ "You are okay?" She mumbled, "you are alive". _

_ "That's right". Guarnere said, "they can't get rid of me, Abbey". _

_ "Good". She mumbled, "where is Joe?" _

_ And his face fell. _

_ He slowly shook his head. _

_ "Abbey, I'm-"_

_ "no". She whispered. "Don't-"_

_ "I'm sorry, Abbey…he's-"_

…

Her eyes opened slowly.

Abbey didn't mean to fall asleep.

She wished she hadn't.

Abbey never saw Toye or Guarnere at the aid station before they left for Paris.

Lipton did offer her a ticket into Bastogne to see them before they left but she declined. It was her biggest regret in life, refusing to see her friends one last time. If Toye ever found out, he'd end up hating her. But she was scared. What if…

_ What if?_

Abbey got out of her foxhole.

It was snowing again.

January was proving to be a harsh and unforgiving month. The temperatures dropped well below freezing and all around her, men were clinging onto life and hope that this would all be over one day. The hardest part for Abbey was checking in on the squad. Liebgott would be sitting in his hole, with a numb Jackson beside him.

Heffron seemed to be doing okay, all things considered.

And Abbey had no idea what was going on with her.

Getting through their days without Toye was hard.

Abbey felt colder, more tired and close to giving in.

Winters offered her a few days as his runner, Lipton even asked her the same thing.

And she did refuse. Because she had to act as squad leader for the time being.

She didn't blame the squad if they didn't have much confidence in Abbey's leading abilities. Abbey never wanted to be a leader. And she always thought, she'd make a terrible squad leader. The only way around this, was to recommend someone else to lead 1st squad. Trouble was, there was no one else.

"Heffron, your turn for OP".

The nicest thing her friends did for her, was follow her orders.

Heffron complied and got out of his foxhole.

He grabbed his weapons and gear.

"Thanks". Abbey mumbled.

Smiling small, Heffron clapped her arm.

"See you in a couple of hours, Abbey".

When he walked off, Abbey stood there for a few minutes.

What did she have to do next?

"Abbey". Lipton walked over to her.

And she felt a sense of relief wash over her.

Perhaps he'd give her something to do.

"Yeah, Lip?"

"We're clearing out the west side of the woods tomorrow".

The attack on Foy itself was drawing nearer.

Abbey felt her stomach pool with dread.

Dike would be leading the entire attack. And that man was never around. Everyone was worried he'd up getting them all killed. It's all the squad could talk about. They were nervous, Abbey didn't blame them, she was slightly nervous too.

"We're hoping for light resistance". Lipton continued, "but in any case, get your guys ready".

She gave him a little nod.

That seemed easy enough.

Briefing the squad, making sure they had enough ammo.

She could do that.

"Will he be there?" Abbey mumbled.

Lipton frowned a little.

"Who-"

"Dike". Abbey said, clearing her throat after.

The 1st Sargent sighed.

"I don't know, Abbey…probably".

Rubbing her lips together, she crossed her arms over her chest, hands going under her armpits.

"You don't have to worry about Dike". Lipton said to her softly, "you just look out for your squad, alright? Let me worry about the rest".

"It's not my squad".

Abbey's voice sounded a tad bitter.

"It's – someone else will replace…". Her words trailed off.

And her eyes landed on a tree. One of the few trees which were still standing.

Lipton's frown deepened.

She was so cut up about losing Toye.

And rightly so, everyone felt that.

But Abbey and Toye were best friends. Closer than family.

"That wouldn't be fair on the squad". Lipton murmured, "they deserve a good leader, someone who's been around since the beginning. Someone like you, Abbey".

She decided to ignore the comment.

Abbey couldn't replace Toye.

It didn't feel right to her.

But then again, no one could replace Joe Toye.

…

They cleared the woods west of Foy and were met by little resistance.

On the 9th of January, Easy dug in for the night.

The process of digging in was simple. They were so used to it now. They'd dig in behind the edge of the forest, with outposts at the front. And yards behind them was Battalion HQ, just where it usually was. Abbey had a few additions to the squad. Replacements came in before they cleared out the west side of the woods. The replacements were young, green and frightened. Most of them were just kids. Who didn't look old enough to shave.

"…don't take a cigarette from the guy, that's what's important".

"Yeah, he'll shoot you. Just like he did with those prisoners".

She stopped walking.

Abbey turned her head to the right.

Skip and Penkala were talking with a few replacements. Scaring them, it seemed. Abbey didn't know who they were talking about, but her ears perked with curiosity.

Who were they talking about?

Abbey decided just to ask them.

She didn't see the harm in knowing.

"What's that, Skip?"

Skip looked back at her, with a tiny smirk.

"Sparky".

She raised an eyebrow, "who?"

Penkala rolled his eyes, "Lieutenant Speirs, from D-"

"I know who that – what happened?"

Abbey took a step towards them, head tilted to the side.

"He hosed those prisoners on D-Day-"

"and, he killed one of his own men".

Skip shrugged, "the guy was drunk and being loud, apparently".

But instead of looking disturbed.

Abbey's lips twitched.

_ The rumours. _

That's what he was talking about.

She shook her head, not believing how out of touch she had been since Normandy. Abbey huffed out a little laugh, with a sigh on the end of it. She gave her head a shake again and continued to walk back towards 1st squad, who were almost finished with their foxholes.

And that's when the sound of distant shelling could be heard.

Like the start of a storm.

Abbey pursed her lips together.

_ Not again. _

"INCOMING!"

When that first shell hit, Abbey started to run.

She had a squad to look after now.

So, instead of searching for cover first, she ran down and made sure everyone was taking cover in their foxholes. The shelling went on all around her, where men started to scream out for help. Abbey kicked one guy into a foxhole, who was almost there but fell onto the snow. She never got used to the extreme firepower, but she did learn how to run with it. If you could still hear the shell, then you were safe. And Abbey heard every single shell.

Men were taking cover.

They sprinted and leaped down into foxholes and shell ditches.

And eventually, Abbey jumped down beside Roe.

The medic was ready to move, as soon as he heard the first cry for his attention. And she could tell he wanted to get up and go, right at that moment. So, to prevent that from happening, Abbey grabbed his hand and shook her head. They couldn't afford to lose a medic like Roe. No one wanted to see another friend die or get seriously wounded.

They could do nothing but wait.

That was the worst part, just waiting until it ended.

Waiting until the Germans finally decided to stop.

And even when the shelling did stop, they had to prepare for a possible infantry attack. It was always one thing after another, they didn't get a break. Abbey had to sit there and think. And it was hard thinking during a bombardment. But thinking of her next move helped keep her distracted from the pain she was reminded of on January the 3rd, when they lost three very important men.

When she lost Toye.

Closing her eyes, Abbey was determined not to think about him.

"Medic! Medic!" Someone yelled.

It sounded like Hashey.

Roe grabbed her wrist and pulled his hand away from her hold.

Abbey's eyes opened.

"No!" She screamed, arms going around his waist.

She pulled him back, they both fell.

Roe was on top of her, but Abbey didn't care.

She wouldn't let him go.

"I 'gotta go!" The medic yelled.

"I will not let you go!" Abbey protested, "we will not lose anyone else!"

Roe was breathing heavily.

He rolled onto his side, his weight going off her.

The medic looked over at Abbey, who was staring back at him.

Her eyes were wide, and they glistened.

She looked frightened.

And Roe did feel a little bad. He was frightened to. Everyone was. But you never showed it. Fear was contagious out in combat; it could spread around like a cold. You never saw someone being scared, not vocally, because Lipton, or any Sargent would have taken care of it.

Three days as Winters runner.

Or just a few hours in Bastogne.

Then they'd come back, looking slightly better.

Abbey looked up.

She could see the last light from the explosion.

It was this blast of white and the tree burst along with it.

When it went quiet, she lowered her eyes.

Roe was still watching her closely.

"I 'gotta-"

"yes. I know".

The medic quickly climbed out of that foxhole and ran to Hashey.

It took her a few extra moments to finally get out of that hole.

And once on her feet, Abbey walked around the line, making sure the squad were okay. They had lost a few replacements from their squad, unfortunately. The new ones they were given just days ago. 1st squad was very thin; they desperately needed more guys. So did the entire Platoon.

Abbey found out, just minutes after checking up on her squad, that they had lost two more.

Another pole right through the heart.

It was Heffron who told her about Skip and Penkala.

A shell landed in their foxhole and they just vanished.

Both of them.

"…I can't believe it". Heffron finished quietly.

He rubbed his arm.

"I just – they disappeared, Abbey".

Her eyes pulled away from the once occupied foxhole and landed on Heffron.

"Get back to your foxhole". She mumbled, "get ready for an infantry attack".

When he walked off, very quietly, Abbey knelt down beside the foxhole.

Her head bowed and her eyes closed.

_ "Give it a rest, Nelson". _

_ "Ah – come on, Skip. This broad's lost her fucking mind"._

She'd never forget it.

Skip was the first person to stick up for her.

Her eyes opened again.

Abbey let out a shaky sigh.

Lifting her head up, she heard footsteps near her.

Lipton and Luz soon stopped behind Abbey.

The three of them were quiet.

Until Abbey spotted something in the foxhole, almost buried with dirt and snow. Reaching down, she moved the dirt away and picked the item up. It was Skip's Rosary. Biting down on her lip, she got back onto her feet and turned around.

"Lip". Abbey whispered, "I think this belongs to Malark now".

With sorrowful eyes, Lipton took the Rosary.

Feeling her heart sink further, Abbey walked away from Lipton and Luz.

There was no such thing as grief in combat.

But their friends deserved to be missed.

And Abbey was going to miss each and every one of them, for the rest of her life.


	50. Chapter 49

Abbey was, once again, looking for Dike.

They had arrived back in their old positions looking over Foy. And the attack on Foy, was very close. Abbey could now count the hours with her fingers – ten. They had ten hours left until they attacked the town. But at least once they secured Foy, they'd hopefully get back to Mourmelon to rest and refit.

Lipton asked her to search for Dike.

And Abbey obeyed to do so.

Their 1st Sargent was busy, always on the move. He took care of everyone. Easy were very lucky to have him. And Lipton was to lead 2nd Platoon during their attack on Foy. Which gave Abbey a small amount of hope, that things might just be okay.

But "okay", wasn't good enough.

They deserved to be led by the best.

And Dike was not the best.

The way she saw it, he didn't care.

She figured Dike found Easy as an annoyance.

And he was using the Company as a steppingstone, towards a higher rank. Having a CO who didn't care, who didn't know your name, it wasn't a good feeling. At least Sobel was always around. You might not have wanted him to be around you but there he was, always hovering over his men. Sobel might not have liked them, he could have hated them, but Abbey didn't think he would ever abandon them, when Easy needed a CO the most.

Abbey stopped walking.

She could hear footsteps.

Soft crunches in the snow.

Turning her head towards the noise, she wasn't even surprised to see Speirs again. He seemed to just pop out, whenever he wanted to. Not that Abbey minded. He wasn't a bad guy and she quite liked his unusual company.

"You've taken my advice".

Abbey looked down at her rifle.

It wasn't across her shoulder this time.

Speirs stopped walking, when he was standing in front of her.

The snow around them fell slowly.

In thick and soft flakes.

"That's…good, I suppose". He mumbled.

Eyebrows twitching, she looked at him.

There was a moment of silence shared between them.

Though, it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable.

It was nice.

"Where you headed?" Speirs asked, "not CP this time?"

Abbey's eyes lowered.

She shook her head and let out a tiny sigh.

"No, sir". She whispered.

And she thought about Dike again and their attack in ten hours' time.

"Late, huh?" He pointed out, "shouldn't you be resting for tomorrow?"

Speirs had a point.

She should have been resting, not wasting her time searching for a man who didn't care. Abbey's hold on her rifle tightened. She felt a bubble of anger boil away in the pit of her stomach.

"Had to find…Dike".

She practically spat.

Speirs raised an eyebrow.

"Your Commanding Officer?"

Abbey huffed out a laugh, which held no humour.

"Right". She mumbled.

_ Commanding Officer. _

He didn't even come close to being one.

Speirs cleared his throat, "you – uh – you find him?"

Abbey gave her head a shake.

"Well, when'd you last see him?"

_Fuck. _

She couldn't even remember.

Abbey rubbed the back of her neck.

"I don't know, sir". She whispered.

Speirs frowned.

"What?" He asked sharply, "you don't know?"

"No". She huffed out another laugh, "no – I don't have a fucking clue, sir".

Realising her error pretty quickly, Abbey lowered her head.

_Idiot_, she thought.

But it could have been worse, she could have lashed out.

Speirs didn't seem to react, however. Not the way she imagined it, anyway. The Lieutenant just stared at her quietly, with a calm and cool expression.

"Well, I'm sure he's around here somewhere".

Frowning a little, Abbey looked back at him.

He wasn't yelling at her.

Rubbing her lips together, she gave him a tiny nod.

"He must be, sir". She whispered.

"He couldn't have just disappeared-"

"no, sir".

Speirs gave her a tiny smile.

Abbey shouldered her rifle, so she could stuff her cold hands into her pockets.

It made the Lieutenant smirk.

"Your mistake, Private".

"Abbey Harrison". She told him, with a small shrug. "My name, sir".

"I never asked you". Speirs told her, "will it change my life, Abbey Harrison?"

_The rumours. _

He reminded her. Skip and Penkala told her.

Abbey shook her head, "my name is not important, sir".

She then added softly.

"And neither are those rumours".

Taking in a deep breath, she turned her head towards the edge of the woods. And Abbey started walking towards the edge. She stood there, staring out across the field. She couldn't see anything; it was too dark and snowy. But in ten hours, they'd have to cross over two-hundred yards of open field with little to no cover to reach the town.

And they were doing it all under Dike's command.

…

"He wants us to hit this hard and fast. We don't have much cover; we need to reach Foy as quickly as possible. Captain Winters has placed two sets of machine-guns on the edge of the forest, it'll give us good covering fire. We need to reach Foy before the Krauts can hit us with anything harder; mortars and artillery".

Abbey looked back over towards the field.

She turned back to the squad.

"Keep it spread out. Let's get these arseholes".

It had snowed overnight; the field was thick with it.

Charging though thick snow wasn't going to be easy. Especially for the men carrying heavier gear, such as mortars and machine-guns. It was the 13th of January, kick off was set for 0900 hours. It was light and they'd be totally exposed in that field.

"That it?" Heffron asked.

Abbey nodded. "All I've been told by Lip".

Jackson shook his head, "how the fuck is he still yawning?"

"Who?" Liebgott asked, "Dike?"

"Yup".

"Ignore him". Abbey mumbled, "listen to Lipton if things go wrong".

A few minutes before nine, Lipton had 2nd Platoon all up and ready to go.

Abbey felt nerves form in the pit of her stomach.

Rubbing her lips together, she caught sight of Dike.

The man looked nervous, frightened even.

That didn't give her much confidence.

"Move out!" Dike yelled, well the clock struck nine.

As soon as they started to run out of the woods, the covering fire started.

"Let's go! Keep it moving!" Lipton was yelling.

Stepping out into that field was tense.

While they ran, nothing happened for the first few seconds.

And then the Germans caught on and started to fire out.

Thankfully, Winters machine-gun covering fire did its job.

A few snipers were tucked in the buildings in Foy.

A bullet went right through a guy's head and he flopped onto the ground. But Lipton had to keep everyone moving. And moving they did. Abbey tried to run quickly through the snow but like she though, it was hard to do so. Her boot kept on getting suck and it slowed her pace down dramatically. A few guys were going down. One got shot in the shoulder, the other in the leg. Abbey looked behind her, just to check up on the squad.

They seemed to be doing okay but she had lost sight of Liebgott.

"Shit". She whispered.

_Where did he go this time? _

Turning back to face the front, Abbey continued to move.

And then, the Germans let out their 88's.

They weren't even halfway across the field.

Shells were landing every ten or so seconds.

"Let's go! Let's go!" Lipton yelled.

He was well in front of her now.

But Heffron and Jackson were behind her.

She looked back at them, "come on – Jack, take Babe's MG stand!"

While Heffron handed Jackson the stand, Abbey turned back around.

Her boots came slamming against the snow and she stopped, just moments away from crashing into Luz's back, or his radio. Abbey pushed her helmet up, when the almost collide caused her helmet to cover her eyes.

"Where the hell are 1st Platoon?!" Dike exclaimed, who was standing beside him.

Abbey rubbed her lips together, while she watched Heffron and Jackson run by them.

"Hold up!" Dike yelled loudly, "Easy Company, hold up!"

Seventy-five yards into the field, and everyone was crouched down.

Mainly the guys from 2nd Platoon and a few from 1st.

But Dike's main worry was that he couldn't see Lieutenant Foley.

Lipton got the rest of 2nd to get down.

Out in the open, they all sat.

While the Germans continued to fire.

Abbey was eager to get moving, just like the rest of them but Dike felt lost and he fell apart. It wasn't the first time this had happened with an officer. The same thing happened back in Holland, when that officer buried his head in the sand but at least then, Winters was in charge of the entire attack and not just a Platoon. This was dangerous, far more dangerous than back in Holland. Dike had total control. And all they could do at the moment was follow his orders.

"Get me Foley on the radio!"

While Dike was giving that order to Luz, a shell went off behind them.

Abbey ducked and turned around, checking how close that came to hitting them.

Any shell was too close.

"Sir, I think we should take cover". Came Luz's smooth and calm suggestion.

And soon, they were all on their feet to find cover.

Abbey continued to follow Luz and Dike.

They tucked in behind a massive bale of hay.

All the while Luz was getting Foley on the radio.

When they took cover, Dike grabbed the radio.

"Foley…Foley, you get back to where I can see you, Goddammit!"

Abbey raised an eyebrow.

Dike slammed the radio down, with a grunt.

He leaned back against the haybale, breathing heavily.

Biting down on her lip, she moved passed the CO and peeked out from the corner.

There, she could see Foley and another man from 1st race towards them.

"Fall back!" Dike yelled, he was sitting up again, looking wildly around him. "Fall back!"

Abbey turned back towards cover and looked at the officer.

He was panicking.

"Sir!" She shouted.

Dike stopped and looked at her.

Abbey swallowed.

Well, at least he stopped screaming.

"Sir, Lieutenant Foley is coming!"

As much as she wanted to tell this guy to be quiet, she'd get into a lot of trouble. And yelling at him probably wouldn't make the situation any easier. But before Foley could arrive, Lipton and Herron got there first. Along with Heffron and Jackson.

Abbey was relieved to see those two.

"Lieutenant, why have we stopped?!" Lipton asked, "what's going on?!"

"Fall back! Fall back!" Was Dike's only response.

Shortly after, Foley followed.

"Lieutenant, what's the plan?" He asked.

Dike was leaning back against the hay.

His helmet was off, and he looked completely confused and afraid.

"I don't know! I don't know!"

Abbey sighed.

_Shit_. They were done for.

Getting up, though staying crouched, Abbey moved to the other side of the haybale and got in next to Heffron and Jackson.

"Abbey, what's going on?!" Heffron asked.

She gave her head a shake, "give 1st Platoon some covering fire!"

Jackson began to set-up the stand, while Heffron got his machine-gun.

Abbey had no idea what was going on.

And doing nothing, was going to get them killed.

"Lieutenant, what's the plan-"

"Captain Winters, sir". Luz held out the radio for him.

Winters was on the other line.

"What's the plan, Lieutenant?!"

And Abbey grimaced, while the men demanded Dike for a plan.

It was hard to watch, she looked at her hands before Dike started talking.

"Okay, Foley!" He yelled, "you take your men on a flanking mission around the village, and it attack it from the rear".

Foley stared back at him.

He didn't look happy with that plan.

"Sir, we cannot stay here!" Lipton shouted, just as another 88 landed close by.

It had everyone ducking.

"You want 1st Platoon to go around the village and attack it by itself?" Foley asked.

"We will provide supressing fire!" Dike told him hotly.

"We're 'gonna be kind of alone out there, Lieutenant-"

"we will provide supressing fire!"

It was a terrible plan.

Dike hadn't moved from the spot, he froze.

He wasn't thinking straight.

But it left a great issue. Not only were 1st Platoon going at this alone but 2nd Platoon were still in a stationary position. The Germans could have wiped them all out, picking them off, one by one. It was frustrating. Everyone was frustrated, especially Lipton. And Abbey had never seen that man yell so much before. But it just showed how much their 1st Sargent cared about his men.

"You need to talk to Captain Winters, sir". Luz urged.

Winters was probably going crazy watching this all unfold.

Abbey got back up and moved next to Lipton.

"Supressing fire now!"

She started to fire out around the corner next to him.

Abbey could see where the firing was coming from.

A sniper had 1st Platoon pinned down.

Pulling back her rifle, she moved towards Lipton.

"Lip!" Abbey yelled, giving his arm a shake.

He looked at her, "yeah?!"

"Sniper! Caved in roof!"

Giving her a nod, Lipton turned back around and grabbed Luz's radio.

She continued to fire, trying to distract that sniper from pinning 1st down.

But it felt useless.

1st Platoon had lost five guys already.

And Lipton felt it too.

So much so, that he yelled at Dike once again.

"Sir, we are sitting ducks here! We have to keep moving!"

Dike didn't respond.

He didn't even blink. It was like he had turned to stone.

Clenching her jaw, Abbey leaned back against the haybale.

"We lost him!" She yelled, to no one in particular.

Lipton looked at her for a moment.

"Just leave him, Lip!" Abbey said, "let's just go-"

"we can't, Abbey!" He told her.

And his eyebrows furrowed.

Lipton looked back at Dike, "Lieutenant, what are we doing?!"

When an 88 exploded out in front of them, Abbey's eyes moved towards the sound.

And there, jumping out from the smoke was Speirs.

She huffed out a little laugh, while the Lieutenant sprinted right over to them.

Speirs knelt in front of Dike and said to him;

"I'm taking over".

It was the greatest relief one could feel in that situation.

_ Finally. _

Abbey moved away from Dike and wondered towards Speirs, who was beside Lipton.

"What have we got?!" He asked the 1st Sargent.

"Sir, most of the Company is spread out here. 1st Platoon tried an end around, but they're stretched out, they're pinned down by a sniper. I believe he's in the building with the caved in roof".

And Speirs came up with a plan and order in a matter of seconds.

"Alright, I want mortars and grenade launchers on that building till it's gone. When it's gone, I want 1st to go straight in, forget going around. Everyone else, follow me".

"Yes, sir!"

"Thank God, huh?" Luz said to Lipton and Abbey, with a relieved smile.

Soon, 3rd Platoon were ordered to move out.

Malarkey and the mortars started to fire in at the building, while 2nd Platoon followed Speirs up towards Foy. Guys were still getting hit but they charged towards that town, like a pack of furious and hungry wolves. Abbey was shooting constantly, every time she took a breath. She was pumped with adrenaline and so much anger too.

They had lost so many friends.

And they suffered greatly in that forest.

An 88 was fire out, Speirs stumbled, just a little.

But anymore, then he might have flattened Abbey. And because of that, she almost fell back. When Speirs started running again, she followed after him. Everyone ran after Speirs. But she somehow managed to follow him, Lipton and Luz behind a building. She was at the back, peeking around another corner and firing out. While Lipton looked around the other corner.

"What do you see, Lipton?!" Speirs asked.

"Armor and Infantry, sir! A lot of Infantry!"

"I Company's supposed to be on the other side of town! Do you see any of them?!"

"Sir, I think they're 'gonna pull back!" Lipton alerted him, "if we don't connect with I Company, they're 'gonna slip away!"

Speirs gave a sharp nod.

"That's right". He said, "wait here!"

And he got up and started running across the town.

"What the hell?!" Luz said.

Abbey, Lipton and Luz moved forwards, watching Speirs closely.

The man ran right through the Germans.

As if the enemy hadn't even noticed him at first.

Speirs ran past the tanks, the Infantry.

And nothing happened to him.

_ This guy really is nuts. _

Jumping over a wall, he managed to make contact with I Company.

And to their surprise, Speirs jumped back over the wall and ran back to them again.

_This guy was insane. _

But Abbey smiled, despite his possible insanity.

"Wow". She breathed out quietly.

The Germans fired at him, but he was fine.

Speirs made it back after hooking up with I Company.

They didn't know what to say to him.

Abbey did, however.

"The nutty people, are the best people around!"

…

It was over, they had taken Foy.

The relief was the oddest feeling.

Abbey wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. She got Heffron and one other to clear out some of the houses, while Jackson and the rest helped with the wounded. Liebgott had ended up being pinned down by that sniper with 1st Platoon, that's why she couldn't find him.

Abbey was just happy he was alive.

Perconte had been shot in the ass.

It truly did seem to be an Easy Company tradition, being shot in the behind.

But other than that, everyone was-

"sniper!"

_** Bang! **_

Abbey dove behind a building.

They had left one sniper behind.

He was hiding out in one of the buildings.

Lipton had to run across the street, to direct the fire onto him.

And that's when Shifty took the perfect shot.

_**Bap! **_

The sniper went down.

Relief washed over everyone, yet again. Lipton was especially relieved.

They cheered for both Shifty and their 1st Sargent and resumed to gather up one hundred German prisoners, who had surrendered when Easy found them hiding out in houses.

Abbey walked back onto the street.

Guys were celebrating their victory and rightly so.

They deserved it.

Each and every one of them.

Taking in a deep breath, she exhaled and looked over towards the field.

Abbey wondered if Dike was still there, hiding behind that haybale.

Slinging her rifle over her shoulder, she stepped back onto the field and made her way across. The snow wasn't as deep anymore, and it was painted red with blood. Sticking her hands into her pockets, she ignored the death around her.

Death was so common out there.

You'd wake up and see death.

And you'd go to sleep thinking about it.

Dike was still at the haybale. Only, he wasn't alone.

A medic was with him, he had been shot in the shoulder.

She sat down next to him, placing her rifle to her side.

Abbey could make out Winters, Nixon and Colonel Sink on the edge of the forest. They were probably talking about Dike. He wouldn't be around for long. Abbey wondered who'd be replacing him, she hoped it was someone good and someone who cared.

"You should be fine, Lieutenant". The medic was telling him.

Dike remained quiet, glued to the spot.

He was pale and shaken.

It was a flesh wound but it must have spooked him.

That, or maybe he just didn't want to see men being killed.

Abbey looked at the Lieutenant, who's eyes were glazed over.

"I'm just glad it's over, sir". She whispered.

Dike didn't respond.

"Aren't you, Lieutenant Dike?"

The medic cleared his throat, before he took Dike's good arm.

"Up we go, sir".

Resting her hands on her knees, Abbey watched Dike get onto his feet.

Head down, he walked back towards the edge of the forest.

"Abbey-"

"where are you?!"

Pursing her lips together, Abbey got back onto her feet.

Hopefully, now they'd finally get some rest.

Maybe they'd even get to sleep indoors again.

Her eyes landed on the forest again.

_ "God…you heard me". _

_ "I'll always hear you, Joe". _

Abbey swallowed back the tightness in her throat.

Blinking a few times and trying to rid the tears, she turned away from the forest.

_"Thank you for hearing me". _

_ "Come on, Abbey. I'll always fucking hear you, huh?" _

_ "I will always hear you too". _


	51. Chapter 50

Easy weren't given a break after taking Foy.

But they were given a new Commanding Officer.

Lieutenant Speirs.

That suited them just fine.

At least Dike was now out of the picture.

Easy sat out in the cold for another night, before their attack on Noville the next morning. They had to cross open ground and clear out a dense wood. And to top it off, the Germans had the higher ground. Not only that but Heffron had to be escorted back to the aid station, he couldn't move his hands, they were raw, swollen and stiff as a board. Plus, his feet were turning black. Abbey was shocked when he showed her.

"Babe". She whispered, "you should have said".

Heffron put his boot back on.

"I didn't 'wanna leave". He mumbled, "I ain't worth a damn now, Abbey".

It didn't feel the same for Heffron anymore. If Guarnere was still around, Abbey knew he would have stuck it out. She could understand. Abbey felt the same way about not having Toye around sometimes. So, giving him a tiny smile, she nodded.

"I will see you soon, Babe".

Heffron gave her a small smile in return.

Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he made his way onto the jeep.

Abbey took a step back and watched him go.

…

At high noon, Abbey found herself in the worst possible situation.

Winters put 2nd Battalion, single file, to cut through the snow.

His theory was, if they went straight for it, they could pick up more cover as they got closer to Noville. It was extremely dangerous. If the Germans caught sight of them, they'd all be dead. But the enemy had 1st Battalion zeroed in, who were to their left. Bodies went flying in the air, if they didn't explode from impact first.

However.

Easy soon ran into their own problem.

Machine-guns in Noville opened up on the Company at the stream.

Speirs quickly got two of his machine-gunners to answer fire.

Which left everyone else to cross the narrow stream.

Abbey didn't think she'd make the jump. Most of the men could make the jump but she doubted her short legs. She was on the other side still, anticipating this move.

God, if she missed, her clothes would freeze.

Plus, she hated water.

"Private!"

Abbey's head snapped up.

Speirs was on the other side of the stream.

"You'd better jump within the next ten seconds!"

She'd rather suffer the consequences.

"I don't like water!" Abbey responded.

Speirs pulled a face.

"What?!"

She gave her head a shake, "I can't swim, sir!"

"Ten seconds!"

Rubbing her lips together, she looked back down towards the water.

Speirs sighed.

"I'll catch you, Private!" He told her.

He must have felt sorry for her.

Or understood her fear.

Abbey lifted her head and took a few steps back. On the other side, Speirs got himself ready to catch her. The men on his side were firing back out towards the Germans, while they continued to advance forward. Abbey was wasting a lot of time by being scared, she realised.

So, taking in a deep breath she ran.

Her feet pushed off the edge and she leapt.

Abbey's arms were flapping around, as if she had wings.

And her legs were running in the air.

It all happened very quickly.

One minute she was in the air, the next, the top of her boot just missed the other side.

She was falling.

Abbey let out a tiny scream.

But Speirs grabbed her arm and pulled her.

Soon, she was on the other side, with booth feet on the ground.

Abbey shuddered; _that was close._

Speirs gave her a nod.

The two of them took off without saying a word.

Easy crossed the field by dark.

Their sweat had frozen; they were all cold that night.

And they waited in the bitter cold, for their attack on Noville the next day.

It was, without a doubt, on of the coldest nights.

No one slept, they were too busy shivering.

Abbey's teeth were sore from the constant chattering.

She couldn't even talk; it was that bad.

Even walking was hard.

Abbey had to make sure the squad were all settled in and her legs bashed together like a bowl of unsteady and wobbly jelly. She must have looked like an idiot on stilts. All that shivering, it hurt her chest. Abbey didn't think she'd make it through the night at this rate. She made her way back towards her hastily dug foxhole. It wasn't her best creation, but it was a hole in the ground, all the same. Abbey was too cold to care.

After a horrible night, they were ready for the attack the next day.

Lipton was leading 2nd Platoon once again.

The distance into town was one thousand metres, they'd need to move quickly. The attack jumped off at dawn. Lipton led them quickly into the centre of town, where they took cover behind burned-out Sherman tanks. Then, Lipton got everyone split up to clear out the houses. It was an easy job from that point. Abbey had the squad race between houses, clearing out the Germans inside.

However, while they were clearing out the buildings, a German tank rolled towards them.

Men quickly dove behind buildings and under Sherman tanks.

Abbey and Jackson were under a tank.

The German tank stopped, swivelled its turret and put a shell into each of the burned-out Sherman tanks. It was quite possibly; the loudest thing Abbey had ever heard. She felt like she had jumped seven feet into the air when that shell hit their tank. Abbey couldn't hear anything, just this constant ringing in her ear.

Jackson was the same.

Only, he looked ready to pass out.

Abbey groaned under her breath and grabbed onto Jackson's arm.

They'd need to get away from this tank.

The pair of them crawled out from underneath and got onto unsteady feet.

Their knees were practically bashing together.

With a hand still on his arm, Abbey pulled Jackson to the side and they both got into a building. Just as the Sherman tank exploded into a fierce orange flame.

The German tank roared out of town and headed north towards safety. But, a P-47 fighter plane spotted it, strafed it and dropped a bomb on it, destroying the tank. And by noon, 2nd Battalion held Noville and had set up a perimeter defence. The little village and its surrounding hills had been an objective for the 101st since December the 20th. Finally, it was in American hands.

…

They didn't get a break after Noville.

The next day, they took Rachamps. It was an easy battle.

The Germans put up some resistance, mainly artillery. As the 506th got close to the outskirts, the Germans started to flee. Most of the German defenders fled. And as the American's moved in, the enemy began bombarding the village. But it was over. The men hoped they were getting off the line now, they had completed every objective handed to them.

They deserved rest.

That night, Easy spent the night in a convent in Rachamps.

For most of them, it was the first night they had spent indoors in a month.

And to complete the night, the Sisters brought in their choir to sing for them.

Abbey was sitting on a bench.

On her lap, was a piece of paper.

She was writing a letter to Toye.

There was no better time to do it. They were indoors, it was warm and relaxed. For the first time in a while, Abbey could hear her own thoughts. She could process what they had just went through. She came out of those woods with a couple of scratches but a head full of trauma that would scar her for life.

_ "Joe, _

_ We did it but it wasn't easy because you weren't around. When you left, replacements came in and our squad lost them just as quickly as their arrival. We're all okay, you'll be pleased to know. But we miss you every day. It's not the same without you, Bill or Buck. It's not the same without Nelly, Skip, Penkala and Hoobs. _

_ Currently, I am inside a church. A choir is singing for us. They're okay but I think your voice would sound much better right now. Though, it is nice being inside again. It's very warm in here and the men are relaxed. Some of them are sleeping, some are smoking and talking quietly to each other, or the nuns. I don't think Babe fancies talking with the nuns. It brings back memories of when he was in that Catholic school. I'm glad Babe's back. He had to leave the line but went AWOL from the aid station. He seems to be okay at the moment. _

_ I have to know if you are okay and please, be honest. I know you'll be in pain. But I will see you again, Joe. I promise. When this ends, you'll the first person I see. I don't want to go out looking for my family, I just want to see you-"_

"you're missing something".

Pulling her eyes away from the paper, Abbey looked up.

Speirs was sitting beside her.

She frowned, "missing something, sir?"

The Lieutenant reached into his pocket and brought out a two-bar chevron.

Speirs looked at the chevron for a moment.

And then, placed it into hand.

Abbey looked down.

"Sargent Grant is taking over your squad". Speirs told her, "for now".

"That's good, sir". She mumbled.

Grant was a fantastic Sargent.

And very experienced.

He was another great Toccoa man.

Biting her lower lip, Abbey placed her chevron into her pocket. She'd sew that on later, once she finished off her letter to Toye. Her eyes moved towards the choir, who were still singing. Speirs brought out a cigarette and like last time, he offered one to Abbey.

She looked down at the cigarette, her lips twitched.

Shaking her head, Abbey looked back at the choir.

"I just don't smoke, sir".

"Oh, that explains it". Speirs murmured.

"It does, sir". Abbey said softly. "I was never afraid".

He hummed and leaned back against the bench, allowing his body to relax.

"What are you afraid of, Corporal?"

More than she'd care to admit.

Abbey was scared of losing more friends.

She was scared of what was behind and turning into that same person who walked into Toccoa all those years ago. And most of all, she was scared of what was to come. What her life will turn out like when this war ended. But she'd never admit that to anyone. Instead, her eyes scanned the convent. They landed on a nun and a little thought popped into her head.

Abbey smiled, "I'm afraid…that one of the nuns is going to pull out her Tommy-gun and blast everyone in the room".

Speirs's eyebrows furrowed.

"Are you serious?"

Huffing out a little laugh, she shook her head.

"No, sir". She mumbled, "I am just terrible at jokes".

Speirs could agree on that.

But the imagine was a little amusing.

Clearing his throat, the Lieutenant nodded towards one nun, who was speaking with Shifty.

"It's that one, ain't it?"

Abbey followed his nod.

She smiled again, "yes, sir – that's the one".

A shudder ran through her body.

Abbey wrapped her arms around herself, as if she was expecting to still be cold. She hadn't stopped shivering. Her body wasn't used to being warm. Which was annoying, seeing as Abbey was giving her body what it wanted – warmth. She was also in desperate need of sleep. But the adrenaline still hadn't left her body from that day. She couldn't sleep now; what if something happened?

What if that nun really did pull out a Tommy-gun?

And when that thought hit her again, Abbey snorted.

She was being ridiculous.

Speirs looked at Abbey.

He smiled a little.

"I'll make sure she causes us no harm, Corporal".

"Thank you, sir".

He nodded and faced the front again, "right – okay".

…

It wasn't back to Mourmelon for a rest.

They were bound for Haguenau. They were to help hold the line, instead of a much-needed breather. No one was in a good mood that morning. It was still cold, and weather was rubbish while they climbed onto roofless trucks. But at least they got to spend the night indoors. That put Abbey in a better mood, knowing she had slept for more than two hours.

She sat next to Luz.

Lipton was on the end of the truck, looking a little peaky.

Abbey hoped their 1st Sargent wasn't getting sick.

The trucks roared to life and they set off.

She jerked around a few times, while the tyres dipped into potholes.

It took a few moments to get comfortable.

"Hey!" Luz yelled, looking over the side of the truck. "Hey!"

Frowning, Abbey followed his gaze.

It was 1st Battalion.

They were walking along side them.

"Yeah, thanks for crapping in our foxholes, you shitheads!" Luz said to them.

"Hey, it was our pleasure!" A guy from 1st said, with a huge grin.

It reminded Abbey of Toye.

_"Someone took a shit in my foxhole!"_

And she let out a laugh.

Luz ended up chuckling, while he handed Lipton a cigarette.

And her laugh ended shortly, when she noticed the exchange.

_ When did Lipton start smoking? _

"There they go, Easy Company! Riding out again!" One from 1st Battalion announced.

Abbey leaned back against the side of the truck, a tiny smile on her lips.

_ Here we go again. _


	52. Chapter 51

It all started with an innocent sniffle.

Abbey woke up and her nose was blocked.

Which was no big deal, she'd had plenty of stuffy noses from being out in the cold for so long. Besides, they were in regimental reserve, Abbey didn't have much to worry about. They moved from one village to another. The journey towards Haguenau, appeared to be a long one. Like all journeys, the roads treated them unkindly, with giant potholes and dips. It wasn't very comfortable; Abbey had a hard time keep her food down.

The morning she woke up before they got back onto the trucks, her symptoms had gotten worse. Not only did she have a stuffy nose, but her body ached, as well as her head. Abbey dismissed these symptoms as having the cold. It must have been just a tiny cold. Because she hadn't been sick once since joining Easy, not even when they all had dysentery out on the line or when they were in Mourmelon. She had managed to avoid every illness.

"Man, you look rough".

Liebgott tossed a duffle bag her way.

Abbey caught it but ended up stumbling back.

He snorted and pulled an amused face, "what?"

"I was not…prepared". She frowned.

Her throat hurt. It felt swollen and tight.

Abbey cleared her throat, which didn't help with the pain.

But she sounded less groggy.

"Where is Chuck?" She asked.

Abbey wondered to the back of the truck and passed the duffle bag up to Heffron.

"He's with Lip and Malarkey". Liebgott replied, "they're going over the journey".

"What's there to go over?" Heffron wondered, "we ain't doing nothing but fucking sitting".

"Hey!" Jackson grinned and slapped his shoulder, "how about you push us the whole way, huh?"

"Yeah…that'll give you something to do". Popeye added lightly.

"I ain't pushing this truck". Heffron grumbled.

Liebgott smirked, "nah? Well, stop fucking complaining about doing nothing, huh?"

Abbey had zoned out of the conversation.

She was busy rubbing the sides of her head.

Liebgott tossed another bag at her, not paying much attention either.

The bag smacked into Abbey's stomach and she fell onto the ground.

"Shit – sorry, Abbey!"

Liebgott raced to her.

Reaching down, he grabbed her arm and helped her back up.

Her uniform was even muddier than before.

Which caused Liebgott to grimace, "don't lash out, alright?"

Abbey sighed and gave her head a shake.

She felt too weak to care.

"It's fine". Abbey mumbled. "Was already ruined".

Liebgott tossed his arm over her shoulders.

"Hope we get a shower there, huh? And how about new clothes".

"Sounds delightful". Though, she didn't sound that delighted at the thought.

It only made Liebgott chuckle, however.

That was just typical Abbey.

But he was slightly concerned.

He could feel her body shaking under his touch.

"Feeling good, Abbey?" Liebgott murmured.

She didn't feel truly wonderful.

Abbey either had a cold or just needed a decent sleep.

"I'm fine". She grumbled, "this ailment will not defeat me".

Liebgott's eyes shone with amusement once again.

Maybe she was fine.

Jackson reached out for her and helped Abbey onto the back of the truck. She took a seat on the damp and cold bench and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to find warmth. Her squad leader sat next to her and started to pull out his blanket.

"You look cold". Grant said to her, "here, let's get you warm".

He soon wrapped his blanket around her body.

Abbey tucked her hands inside the blanket, pulling it tightly around her shoulders.

"That is very kind". She croaked, "though, this is merely a cold".

That's what she was hoping for, anyway.

"Well, better to be safe". Grant said to her, "keep that around you".

"Your eyes look a little puffy-"

"yeah, you look pretty flushed too-"

"is your neck swelling up?"

Abbey lowered her eyes.

She wished they'd stop looking at her.

Malarkey cleared his throat, "that's enough. If Abbey says she's fine, then she's fine".

Abbey was grateful for that.

…

One hour into the journey and Abbey woke up.

The tyre dipped into a rather large pothole, sending her almost flying off the seat. Thank goodness for Grant, who caught her just in the nick of time. She sat back properly on the bench and was glad for this blanket, as she was shivering like crazy underneath.

God, she was freezing.

And each time her body shivered, it felt like daggers were cutting right into her.

Her body ached so badly.

She actually felt drunk and confused. Like she had a few too many. And her eyes were seeing double. Abbey blinked a few times, but Jackson still had two heads. She rubbed her eyes, hoping that would wash away this horrible feeling. But no, her friend still had two heads.

Abbey frowned.

Was she drunk?

She couldn't remember drinking. But she had to have been drunk because colds didn't make you feel this way, surely. From what she could remember, Abbey had never felt this bad with a common cold before. In fact, she didn't think she had ever felt this rough before. She didn't even feel human, not really. She felt horrible. With an awful headache, sore and swollen throat, an aching body, shivers and a churning stomach. They weren't pleasant symptoms.

But Abbey couldn't get sick. They had to help hold the line again. She wasn't allowed to get sick; she had a job to do. Abbey figured the best thing to do, was ignore her body and act as if everything was perfectly fine. And in her mind, she thought everything was fine.

On the outside, however, she didn't look great.

Jackson was still staring back at her.

She was swaying, while her body rattled under the blanket.

She was covered in sweat and had a dazed look about her.

Jackson leaned forwards, "Abbey?" He called out softly.

Abbey closed her eyes.

She got dizzy when Jackson moved towards her.

"You okay?" He asked.

Abbey hummed.

Maybe she wasn't okay.

And her stomach was starting to hurt.

But it wasn't because of the roads this time.

"Is she 'gonna throw-up?" Popeye asked, pointing towards her.

Heffron slowly shifted closer to Liebgott.

He didn't want to get hit by vomit.

Grant was brave enough to place his hand against her forehead.

His eyes widened.

"Holy shit". He whispered, "she's burning up".

Malarkey's eyes snapped towards her, "how bad?"

"Bad". Grant mumbled, with a deep frown. "She's really sick, Malark".

Abbey gave her head a shake.

She wanted to tell them everything would be fine; she was fine.

It was just a cold, after all.

But when she opened her mouth, her stomach rebelled.

Abbey retched and soon after, her breakfast reappeared by her feet.

Heffron lifted his feet in the air, when the mess slowly moved down the truck. It wasn't the nicest thing to witness, they probably could have gone through life without seeing their friend getting sick in the back of the truck. But it was a worry too. She really wasn't well.

Abbey stayed hunched over, mouth hanging open.

She coughed a few times.

But nothing else came of it.

Abbey spat out what else was in her mouth and pulled a face.

Grant, feeling bad for her, continued to rub her back.

"Don't worry, Abbey". He said, "but this ain't the cold".

Perhaps not but she could pretend it was.

Abbey wiped her mouth with her sleeve and slowly sat up from her hunched position. Her nose twitched, she tried to ignore the taste in her mouth. And when Grant brought out her canteen, she didn't think she could face having a drink. Her throat hurt too much. But the Sargent was persistent, and Abbey ended up taking a few sips.

It was very painful.

And extremely hard to swallow.

Abbey pulled a face of discomfort.

The journey wasn't going to be pleasant.

…

Abbey slipped in and out of sleep for the rest of the journey. She had no idea what was going on most of the time and was left in a constant state of being confused and dazed. Whatever she had; it was kicking her ass. She couldn't sleep because she felt so bad, but she so desperately needed to sleep at the same time and Abbey couldn't even get frustrated about it because her brain had turned into mush.

"Hey, guys!" A very chipper voice greeted them.

It raised a few heads.

And they wondered collectively, who could be this happy in this hell hole?

The men inside the truck looked over at him.

It was Webster.

They hadn't seen him since Holland, after the crossroads battle.

"Some Lieutenant told me to report to second".

Webster used to be in 1st Platoon.

They guessed he meant Lieutenant Foley.

"Your names Jackson, right?" Webster asked.

Jackson had been glaring at him.

"That's right". He grunted.

"Who's leading the Platoon?"

"Sargent Malarkey is". Jackson responded, nodding in Malarkey's direction.

The smile on Webster's face shifted but it didn't move.

"What? No officers?"

"I guess you didn't hear". Came Liebgott's smooth voice.

"No, what's that?" Webster asked, slightly amused. He had only just arrived, after all.

Liebgott looked away from him, hiding his smirk. "They're making Malarkey a Lieutenant. He's on the fast track now".

Abbey let out a very weak and clumsy laugh.

She heard that.

Webster gave her a slightly bemused look.

Before he faced Liebgott again.

"Really? That's great". Webster didn't sound convincing.

"Yeah, isn't it?" And neither did Liebgott.

"Yeah".

Webster tossed his bag onto the truck.

"Jackson, help me up, will you?"

And he didn't have much of a choice.

Reluctantly, Jackson grabbed Webster's arm and helped him on.

He stumbled a few times, and Jackson eventually moved down to clear some space.

"So, uh…you come from the hospital?" Jackson asked.

"Yeah".

Liebgott was still looking away when he said;

"must have liked that hospital. Cause – uh – we left Holland four months ago".

Webster passed this remark off with a casual smile, "well, I wasn't there the whole time. There was rehabilitation, then the replacement depot-"

"well, I'm sure you tried to bust out and help us in Bastogne, Web".

The truck was filled with a pause, of tense silence.

Webster continued to smile, however, "I don't know how I would have done that".

"That's funny". Only, Liebgott didn't sound like it was very funny. "Cause Popeye found a way. So did Alley, right, back in Holland?"

Crossing his arms, Heffron nodded from beside him, backing his friend up.

"And Guarnere… and-"

"yeah, where is Guarnere?" Webster asked. "He still your Platoon Sargent?"

Abbey's eyebrows twitched.

Jackson sighed, "nope".

And then, the truck stopped.

"Let's go!" Someone called.

"He got hit". Jackson said, before getting up and exiting the truck.

And finally, Webster stopped smiling.

"Really?"

Heffron reached down and took Abbey's arm.

"Yeah, Bill got hit". He said to him, "blew his whole leg off".

Abbey was staggering towards the end of the truck.

She sat down, legs hanging over the side, before gently climbing down.

Her boots landed on a muddy and wet road.

At least the journey was over now.

Across the river, they could hear the Germans firing.

Malarkey had everyone spread out, not wanting the entire Platoon to get hit.

"Hold along this line, 'til I figure out where we're going". He told them.

Abbey pressed her back against a house.

Her eyes slipped closed.

She could have fallen asleep, if a shell handed landed and hit a building close by.

Abbey's eyes snapped open and she watched Webster dive for cover.

Malarkey told Webster to head over to the CP and soon after, he got his Platoon a house looking over the river. It was a large house and they set up the bunkbeds into bedrooms, which had been left down in the basement. It didn't take them very long, Malarkey was soon setting up the phone wirings with Bain, which they would hook up with CP.

Once that bed was set up, Grant ordered her to sleep.

And Abbey complied.

She was exhausted.

Abbey had three blankets wrapped around her, while her body relaxed into a mattress. She didn't seem to care what was going on, only that she was in bed and close to falling into a deep and brilliant sleep. But her sleep was once again interrupted, by a strange sound coming from the sky. Abbey opened one eye. Malarkey and Bain were staring out of the window.

_Chug-chug-chug-chug. _

It sounded like a train.

And soon, the whole ground started to shake.

The light above them shook, as did the bunkbeds and desk.

Abbey sat up slightly.

And then, the shell exploded.

The impact was so great, that their window cracked.

And an entire house was brought down.

"What the hell was that?!" Bain exclaimed.

"205mm cannon". Malarkey responded, "it's attached to a railroad car, they used it during the Great War. Loud, right?"

His eyes widened, "loud?! Malark, that just brought a whole fucking house down!"

Abbey flopped back down on the bed.

She closed her eyes, hoping to get some sleep.


	53. Chapter 52

_"Hey, pal. How's it going?" _

_ Looking around, her face formed a frown. _

_ She was standing on a smooth and white surface. _

_ And around her, was a dark blue sky with shiny stars. It was almost like she was on the surface of the moon. Around her was silence, Abbey couldn't hear anything. There was no breath of wind, no shifting of trees and better yet, no sound of explosions from shells. Her lips turned up into a small smile. _

_ She turned towards the voice. _

_ "Hello, Nelly". _

_ Nelson smiled back at her, "nice here, huh?" _

_ Abbey nodded, "where is here?" _

_ "No idea, Abbey". He admitted, "I think you put us here". _

_ She snorted softly. _

_ And her eyes caught sight of a shooting star, which flew silently above them. _

_ "You could have done worse". Nelson said to her, "just didn't know you had it in you, freak". _

_ She let out a tiny laugh, which sounded muffled. _

_ Abbey rubbed her lips together. _

_ "It's dark here". She whispered, "but…I can still see you". _

_ "That'll be the stars". Nelson said, "they're pretty bright up here, huh?" _

_ "What does this mean?" _

_ He grinned, "Abbey, you're pretty fucking out of it right now". _

_ She pulled a face. _

_ "What?" _

_ Nelson chuckled, "yeah…you've got a pretty high fever, you know". _

_ Sighing, Abbey looked okay with it, all things considered. _

_ "Oh, well". She said lightly, "at least it's nice here". _

_ "Come on, let's sit". Nelson suggested, "pretty comfortable here". _

_ Abbey and Nelson soon sat down on the white surface. _

_ And he was right, it was fairly comfortable. Almost like a mattress, or a fluffy pillow. _

_ She ended up lying down and looking up at the twinkling stars. _

_ The pair of them remained silent. _

_ Abbey just liked hearing Nelson breathe beside her. _

_ Slowly, she turned to face him. _

_ He was lying down next to her. _

_ "Are you happy?" Abbey asked him quietly. _

_ Nelson shrugged, "not really, Abbey". _

_ She frowned, "I'm sorry, Nelly-"_

_ "yeah, I know". He said through a sigh, "I heard you". _

_ "Do you forgive – why is it so cold?" _

_ Abbey was shaking again. _

_ She was freezing. _

_ Nelson looked back at her, "don't worry, Abbey". _

_ Her arms went around herself, "shit – it's so cold!" _

_ "Calm down". _

_ "Nelly – it's so fucking cold!" _

_ "Abbey-"_

…

"…calm down".

Gasping her eyes snapped open.

Something cold and wet was pressed up against her face and the back of her neck. She was sitting up, stripped front her blankets and jacket. And her body was shivering, while it tried to warm itself back up. Abbey was trying to make sense of it all. She could hear muffled voices, but her eyes were too blurry to make out faces.

"Jesus". Abbey whispered, through chattering teeth. "No – it's cold".

"Calm down".

"Stop…you're messing me up". She mumbled.

"No one's messing you up, Abbey".

It wasn't quiet anymore.

Besides from the quiet voices, Abbey could hear her heart, which pounded against her chest. She could feel the blood rush from her head. She felt light but so heavy at the same time, it was such a horrible and surreal feeling. She felt dizzy, like her head was floating and spinning above her body. Her stomach tightened and a rush of warm liquid escaped her mouth, landing on the bed and floor.

"Oh, Jesus, that's –"

"shut the fuck up".

Abbey knew that was Liebgott.

"She can't fucking help it".

Reaching out, Abbey's hand soon landed on his arm.

"Yeah, I'm here". Liebgott murmured, "you're pretty sick, Abbey".

"We're taking you across to CP". Malarkey told her.

Abbey didn't think she could take a single step.

And the thought of walking, caused her distress.

"No". She moaned, "don't make me walk…I have no feet".

"You have feet". Liebgott told her, "but you ain't walking, don't worry".

Abbey guessed that Liebgott picked her up.

She felt like a doll, just lying lifeless in his arms.

Completely deadweight.

But he got her outside and across the street.

Abbey was still feeling very cold, but her stomach didn't hurt as much after being sick. In fact, she was starting to feel a little better. At least, that's what she thought. She still looked close to passing out and her skin was very pale. Abbey must have looked horrible because a few of the men gasped when they saw Liebgott carry her into CP.

"Where's the doc?!"

Her face scrunched up.

Her head still hurt and Liebgott was yelling.

Roe quickly ran into the main room.

Abbey had gathered a little crowed.

Speirs was even there, as well as Luz.

Lipton was lying on the couch, feeling as sick as a dog. He had caught pneumonia and was on bed rest until he felt well enough to stand. And he got up from the couch, just to check in on Abbey.

"What's wrong with her?" Speirs asked, who sounded worried.

Liebgott shook his head, "she has a fever, sir".

"A high fever". Roe mumbled, "alright – get her in the back, I'll bring it down".

Very quickly, Abbey was placed into a room.

There, she was laid down on a bed.

She had no idea what was going on, only that she wanted more blankets. But Roe couldn't give her any, she was far too hot. Instead, he had cold and wet towels placed around her body. Speirs was half tempted to grab a bucket of water and pour it over her. They were a little worried for Abbey, while they tried to get her temperature down. And she was being a good patient, she only ever complained weakly about being too cold.

"Her glands are swollen". Roe had his hands on the side of her neck, fingers gently pressing against her neck, "Abbey, does your throat hurt?"

It was hard to get an answer out of her.

"It's very cold, Gene". Was her weak response.

The medic gave a nod, "yeah, I know Cherie…but does your throat hurt?"

Abbey's throat did hurt.

She gave him a nod.

The room was quiet.

Liebgott still had a towel pressed against the back of her neck.

Speirs looked over at the medic.

"What's that mean, doc?"

Roe gave them a small and assuring smile.

"She's going to be fine, sir".

The two of them let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank Christ". Liebgott muttered.

"I think she has Glandular fever". Roe said, "she won't need any treatment, but I have some tricks that might help her recover quicker".

"That's great". Speirs said quietly.

"Let's sort her fever out first". The medic said, "get the nausea under control and let her sleep".

…

Hours passed and Abbey opened her eyes.

Everything still hurt but her brain didn't feel as mushy as before.

She didn't feel cold, she felt nice and warm under the blankets. Her stomach wasn't churning, and the nausea seemed to have gone away for the time being. The only thing that did bother her was her throat and dry mouth. She was so thirsty. Abbey figured she'd better get something to drink, before she ended up dying.

Pulling the blanket off, she swung her legs around and stood up.

It was a terrible idea to get up so quickly.

Abbey almost fell, her legs felt weak and jelly-like.

Grabbing onto the metal bedframe, she stood there for a few moments to collect herself. She didn't feel any worse, just more tired when standing. Abbey could deal with feeling weak, it wasn't her first time feeling this exhausted.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Eyes widening a little, Abbey looked towards the voice.

A light was suddenly turned on.

And she could make out Speirs's face.

The man sat up in the bed, which was set on the other side of the room.

And the Captain didn't look that happy.

He sighed, "get back to bed, Corporal".

Her eyes wondered towards the door.

"I need water, sir". Abbey croaked, "mouths really dry".

"Alright, I'll get it".

She was a little surprised.

He didn't have to do that for her.

But Abbey decided to sit back down on the bed.

"Thank you, sir".

She didn't want to further piss the man off.

A few moments later, Speirs returned with a cold glass of water. He handed it to her, and Abbey took a few greedy sips. The Captain stood there awkwardly for a bit, just waiting until she finished off the water but decided to sit down next to her instead. When the mattress shifted, she almost lost the water in the glass. Speirs pulled a face.

Abbey smiled a little.

He cleared his throat, "how're you feeling?"

Licking her lips, she looked down at the glass.

"Fine, sir". She whispered, "I think I will be better tomorrow".

Speirs looked at his watch.

"It is tomorrow".

Abbey's eyebrows twitched.

Speirs then added, "it's three in the morning".

"Perhaps later on, sir". She said, "I will not need another day in bed".

Carefully, his fingers brushed against her forehead.

"You don't feel warm". He murmured, "fever must have broke".

Abbey frowned a little.

"You still feel warm?" Speirs asked, "you still look flushed".

She gave her head a shake.

"Fine, sir".

Sighing, Speirs's fingers left her forehead.

"Alright, good". He said, "see how you feel later".

"I am hoping to return, sir". Abbey said quietly, "this is a small cold".

Speirs almost laughed.

But he was still smiling.

"Corporal, you have Glandular fever".

She pulled a face.

"I have never heard of it". Abbey mumbled, "what is it?"

"A virus". Speirs said, "it's what's causing you to feel bad".

She sighed, "lovely. My body has betrayed me".

His eyes lightened in amusement.

He chuckled quietly, "Corporal, you're going to be fine".

Abbey hummed, before she took another sip of water.

Her throat still hurt but at least her mouth wasn't as dry anymore.

And that's when she finally took notice of Speirs.

His hair was clean, and he had a new uniform on.

Abbey frowned a little.

"Why are you clean, sir?" She asked, as bluntly as ever.

The man smirked, "an amazing thing called showers, Corporal".

And her eyes lightened.

_ They have showers? _

Speirs sighed loudly, shoulders sinking.

"Fine – let's go".

…

A bar of soap, towel, boots and a fresh uniform was handed to her.

Speirs was standing outside of the shower block, which was set up out on the road.

Abbey stepped inside and wondered into the back of the tent.

Placing her items down, she turned on the shower and warm water soon sprayed against her body. A bright smile lifted her face, while she allowed the water to wash away the mud, blood and sweat. Grabbing the soap, Abbey started to scrub Bastogne away.

It was a happy moment.

Just having a shower and cleaning herself, it felt great.

But standing was hard, Abbey had to sit down.

The water ran through her hair and trickled down her back.

Abbey had to scrub at her hair for at least ten minutes, just to get it untangled and clean. Her fingers went through her messy and curly hair. And Abbey didn't think she could ever get back up again because the water felt so amazing against her skin. It almost felt normal. But not even the water to wash away those traumatic moments in her head.

Bastogne was washed from her skin.

Abbey got up, turned off the taps and grabbed her towel.

She dried herself quickly and left her hair down.

Putting on her new uniform, she placed her Edelweiss back into her front pocket.

But though the mud, sweat and blood were gone.

Abbey could never forget.

Exiting the shower, Speirs was standing out there waiting for her.

He was looking up towards the clear sky.

Abbey followed his stare and smiled.

The stars were out, she could see half of the moon.

_ "Nice here, huh?" _

She could hear Nelson's voice.

Abbey wondered if she was getting a fever again.

But Speirs then said, "nice night".

And her body relaxed.

"Yes, sir". She whispered, "it is a nice night".


	54. Chapter 53

"…so, in he comes, right? This tall and cocky son-of-a-bitch…he reaches Malark and tells him he's the new Goddamn Platoon leader, and Malark should leave and come back as an assistant leader".

Abbey's eyes widened a little.

Jackson grinned, shaking his head.

"Well, Malark tells him, he ain't going anywhere". He said, "that put Lieutenant Jones in his fucking place, Abbey. No one takes over Malark".

She took another sip from her water.

Abbey swallowed the cold liquid in her mouth.

"Anything else?" She asked quietly.

Jackson gave his head a shake, "nah – not much". He said, "Krauts fire, we fire back but it don't last long, not like the woods".

"That's good". Abbey mumbled, "I will be back soon, Jack".

He gave her a soft smile, "you rest up, Abbey". Jackson said, "huh? You deserve some time off".

She sighed quietly, "that is a lie, Jack. I do not deserve time off. I have a cold-"

"no, you don't". He grinned, "you have a fucking disease".

Abbey's nose twitched, "I do not".

Jackson chuckled, "hell – I can't remember what it's called".

She leaned back against her pillow, which was sat up by the bedframe.

Abbey bit down on her bottom lip, hand going behind her head.

"Maybe you will be back soon, huh?" He pointed out lightly.

Jackson just wanted her to feel better.

It was depressing Abbey, being away from her squad and Platoon.

But Abbey was hardly ever alone. Lipton slept in the same room, Speirs came down a lot to check up on them, as well as Luz and Roe. And if they weren't there, Jackson, Liebgott and Heffron would visit her throughout the day when they weren't busy.

"At least you ain't in a crappy aid station". He then added, "those places are crazy, Abbey".

She was lucky enough to be here and with Easy.

Abbey couldn't imagine being away from them in an aid station.

She shuddered at the thought.

Jackson pulled the blanket up to her chest.

"Keep warm, Abbey".

…

She couldn't lay in bed for a moment longer.

Abbey got up, slipped on her boots and jacket and left the room.

Heading into the main reception, it was fairly busy.

Winters, Nixon, Speirs and a few others were gathered around.

Lipton was still lying on the couch, going over some notes and 1st Sargent duties. While Luz and Vest were at the counter, sorting out the K-rations, which had just been brought in. She thought about grabbing a goodie from the box, but her attention was pulled away from the counter, when Winters greeted her with a kind smile.

"Feeling better, Corporal?"

Abbey gave him a nod and a tiny smile.

"Loads, sir".

Though, her voice told a different story.

Speirs resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Abbey – don't just stand there, sit down, for Christ sake".

Her eyes shinned with amusement.

After spending a week with the Captain, she was beginning to get used to him.

Abbey could tell he wasn't angry, only concerned.

But she respected his wishes and sat down by Lipton's feet.

Abbey looked over at the first Sargent.

"Are you well again, Lip?"

Lipton sighed, "getting there, Abbey…how about you?"

"I'm ready to leave". She said, "I want to go back".

His face softened, "give it another night, huh? You still sound rough".

The three officers behind them quietened down.

Whatever they had been discussing, they didn't want Abbey to know about it.

At least, not yet.

Which caused her to frown.

Abbey rubbed her lips together, swallowing back any questions.

She couldn't pry.

That wasn't something she typically did.

"…so, 2nd?"

But she could still hear them.

"Yeah". Speirs whispered.

"Alright". Winters said lowly, "the whole Battalion will cover their withdrawal".

"Sounds good, sir". Speirs said, "I'll let Sargent Malarkey know – he can lead".

Abbey's frown deepened.

Slowly, she met Lipton's eyes again.

He gave his head a shake; _don't even think about it. _

But she had to do something.

Abbey was apart of 2nd Platoon.

Sitting on the couch, her fingers rubbed against each other.

She had to do something.

"Briefing will be held here, 1700". Winters said to Speirs. "I'll meet you round back, Ron".

"Yes, sir".

Before he left, Winters gave her another smile.

"Get better soon, Abbey".

"Thank you, sir". She said back to him quietly.

When Winters and Nixon left, Abbey's eyes turned to Lipton.

He was still staring down at the piece of paper in front of him.

"Patrol?" She guessed softly.

"Yup". Speirs confirmed, from behind the couch. "Across the river, prisoner snatch. We're 'gonna destroy the OP building as well".

Abbey frowned, "why, sir?"

The Captain sighed.

"Regiment wants information". Speirs mumbled, "they picked Easy for the patrol. Dog Company tried but one of the officers blew up his leg, he stepped on a mine".

She grimaced.

That didn't sound pleasant.

Lipton peered over his paper, "you're not going, Abbey".

Of course, she was.

"Right". Abbey mumbled.

But she was going.

She had to go.

"Lipton is right". Speirs added, "you're still sick".

"It's a cold- "Abbey tried to argue but the Captain cut her off.

"It's not a – ". He let out a tired sigh, "just, get more rest, Corporal".

Lipton got up from the couch, "I'll let Malarkey know, sir".

…

Abbey gargled her mouth out with warm water and salt.

It helped her throat.

That's what Roe told her, anyway.

She hated doing it, the taste was awful.

But she had to get better for the patrol. Abbey spat out the water and salt and wiped her mouth, before she checked her watch. It was approaching five, the briefing would be held down the stairs soon. Of course, she couldn't exactly sit in, Abbey would just need to hide around the corner and listen. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was still pale, and she looked tired but besides from that, Abbey was fine – she could do this.

She had to do this.

At five, Abbey made her way downstairs.

She could hear Winters greet the men inside the room.

And very quietly and carefully, she hid behind the wall by the open doorway and listened in for the night's plan of action. Abbey didn't feel bad about eavesdropping, in fact, she thought Guarnere would be highly impressed with her sneaking abilities.

"As you can see, we've gathered fifteen of you here for this prisoner snatch tonight, 0100". Winters started off, "Just a couple of points". He said, "we've secured four rubber boats to get you across the river. Lieutenant Jones here-". There was a small pause, "is the ranking officer and he'll be along as an observer". Winters then said, "Sargent Martin here, will lead the patrol in Sargent Malarkey's place".

Abbey frowned.

_ What was wrong with Malarkey?_

"The whole Battalion will be covering your withdrawal. We've identified targets, we've planned fire for them". Winters informed them. "We hear these whistles, we open up. So, don't blow 'em 'till you're back on the boats with your prisoners".

She could hear the whistles lightly tap against each other.

"And if the house turns out to be empty, sir?" Martin asked.

Abbey gave a little nod, that was a good question.

"It won't". He replied, "but in any case, we know it's an outpost and we want it destroyed, so, you have to lay some demo on a time delay". Winters said, "you have to move fast but carefully. Put a perimeter around the house. Once that's in place, get your rifle grenades in the first-floor window. Get your assault team in quick-"

Something or someone interrupted Winters.

He then responded with a quiet, ""Good, understood".

There was another small pause.

Abbey could feel the slight tension.

2nd Platoon weren't happy, she could just tell.

No one was happy about another patrol.

"Remember, it's about prisoners". Came Winters voice, "don't pop the first thing that moves…clear?"

"Yes, sir". They responded.

"Good".

She rubbed her lips together, taking in another quiet pause.

"Picked your assault teams?" Winters asked.

"McClung, Sisk, Cobb, Garcia". Martin replied, "and Webster, as translator".

Abbey frowned; Martin didn't sound happy with Webster.

"The rest of you guys, a base of fire with Sargent Grant". The Sargent then said, "you speak German, right, Webster?"

"Yeah, a little bit". Came his quiet response.

"Good". Martin said before adding, "that's my team, sir".

"Questions?" Winters asked.

When they were met with silence, that was Abbey's cue to leave.

The briefing had ended, they had a plan.

Abbey walked up the stairs and quickly made her way into the main room.

Luz smirked and shook his head, while he watched her take off quickly.

She had around eight hours before the patrol kicked off.

In order for this to work, Abbey would need to sneak on one of the boats. Her best bet was to sit with Jackson or Heffron, they wouldn't rat her out. And with the rest of 2nd Battalion giving them covering fire, it was going to be easy to get out of CP and make her way down to the boats.

But until then, Abbey had to continue to lie in bed.

Entering the room, she got back into bed and pulled the blankets over her.

Just in perfect time, because Roe soon walked in.

"Here, try and drink this".

Sitting up, Abbey took the warm liquid from him.

She gave it a sniff, "what is that?"

"Honey and tea". Roe told her, "should sooth your throat".

Abbey would take just about anything to get her better.

Even if she wasn't a huge fan of honey.

"Captain Speirs recommended it". The medic further explained, with a tiny frown.

Abbey was confused by the frown.

He looked a little guilty.

She tilted her head to the side, "I am sure it's fine, Gene".

Roe gave her the best smile he could give her.

"Does it taste nice?"

Abbey gave him a tiny nod.

"Yes. Though, I am not a huge fan of honey".

"Yeah…well, drink it all, Cherie". Roe told her softly, "it'll help".

She took another sip.

It wasn't so bad, and she figured Roe put some sugar in the drink because she could see white granules floating on the surface of the tea and honey. Abbey took another sip, while Roe sat on the edge of her bed, taking her pulse and temperature.

"I think you're on the mend". He said, "you should be back on your feet again tomorrow".

Abbey gave him a little nod.

Well, that was good news.

She yawned softly, eyes suddenly feeling heavier than normal.

Abbey blinked a few times and drank the rest of her tea.

Biting his lower lip, Roe took the empty cup from Abbey and set it down.

She yawned again.

Abbey was tired before, but she couldn't remember it being this bad.

In fact, this drowsy feeling reminded her of something.

She groaned, "fuck…sake…".

Roe sighed, "I'm sorry, Cherie…Speirs is a smart guy".

Abbey's head started to fall forwards.

But her eyes snapped open again, when her chin hit her chest.

Speirs had spiked her with anti-sickness tablets.

_ Was that even allowed? _

"Lie back, Abbey". Roe told her soothingly, "get some sleep".


	55. Chapter 54

Abbey was very confused when she woke up.

Her head was fuzzy, and her vision was blurry.

It didn't take her long to remember what had happened.

Speirs spiked her tea.

He did it so she wouldn't sneak onto the patrol.

Which Roe then gave her the tea.

And the patrol was still going on.

Sitting up, her ears were soon met with the sound of intense fire.

Through the windows, she could see flashes from explosions and machine-guns. Abbey pulled the blanket off her and rolled out of bed, landing on the floor. Her legs felt weak again, almost like wobbly jelly. Groaning, she pushed herself up and was soon on her feet. Abbey put on her jacket, slipped on her boots and walked out of the room.

It was hard walking with a fuzzy head.

She had to grab onto the wall to steady herself, while she made her way down the corridor and into the main room. Abbey felt a cold breeze wash over her from the opened doorway, which led out into the town. She was almost there, and the firing was sounding closer now. Abbey stepped outside, feeling the fresh air touched her skin for the first time in days. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply.

That felt better.

But only for a moment.

Abbey picked up the pace into a light jog.

Rounding the back of town, she could spot the covering fire.

Across from the river, Abbey could see the patrol running back towards the boats. And in a mad rush, she ran down towards the water and stood by a tree, which had the rope tied around it. Watching them run back to safety was horrible. She couldn't do anything to help but wait until they were all across to help them out. And by this point, Abbey was now standing in the water, while her boots and feet got soaked.

She felt her body start to shiver.

But ignored it.

Abbey could see them start to rush into the boats.

Rubbing her lips anxiously together, she watched, while the bullets slammed against the water, causing ripples and splashes. Abbey got herself ready to catch the first boat, which was being pulled along at a great and panicked speed. And that's when she noticed one of the passengers. He was lying down and moaning in pain. And then she heard Vest, who was screaming.

"I'm 'gonna fucking kill him!"

Abbey felt a weight of dread.

_ What happened? _

Kneeling down slightly, she grabbed the front of the rubber boat and helped it to shore. Ramirez was in the front, with the wounded man close to him. Abbey steadied the boat, while he got out first. And then quickly turned around, grabbing the injured man.

"Who is it?!" Abbey asked loudly.

Ramirez looked at her, with a heavy frown.

"It's Jackson!"

…

Upon entering the basement in 2nd Platoon CP, everything was one giant rush.

In a great wave of panic, Jackson was quickly placed down on a table, while the other men got the two German prisoners to the back of the room. Heffron and Vest were guarding them and not very quietly, either. But Abbey's only concern was Jackson. Her friend, who was squirming around on the table, in a great amount of pain.

His face was ripped from shrapnel and he had a large gash in his head.

The shrapnel almost took out his eye, the wounds didn't look good.

But Jackson didn't need to know that.

Martin left to get a medic, leaving Lieutenant Jones in charge.

This was her first time meeting their new Lieutenant.

Abbey wasn't even aware of his presence straight away.

She had her hand in Jackson's hand, while her other hand was placed on his shoulder, to stop him from moving around too much. Jackson was panicking, and she didn't blame him. God, she would probably be the exact same with a wound like that. And to top it off, it was so noisy. The exchange of fire was still happening outside, and men inside were yelling at the prisoners, while they yelled back at them.

"Jackson, listen to me". Webster said, "you have to calm down, or we can't help you".

It was hard watching him this distressed.

Jackson was always so level-headed.

He was adventurous and happy.

"He's 'gonna fucking die!" Vest screamed, "he's 'gonna fucking die!"

Abbey bit down on her lip.

She gave his hand a squeeze, "Jack". Abbey's voice raised, "Jack – look right at me".

Slowly, his head turned towards her voice.

"Abbey?" He croaked, "what are…why're you here?"

"That is not important". She said, "but you must not listen to Vest. You will not die-"

"you're 'gonna be fine, everything's 'gonna be okay". Webster added.

But Jackson then started to sob.

These heart breaking, choked sobs.

It hurt everyone in the room to hear them.

And things were heating up in the back.

"Goddammit!" Vest screamed, while he pulled out his gun.

He was going to shoot the prisoners.

But Jones quickly took action, "hey!"

The Lieutenant marched right over to Vest and grabbed him.

Then Heffron started to yell and threaten the prisoners, so, Jones had to drag him away too. If they lost any of the prisoners, they'd have to go back across the river and get another one.

Jackson was crying and mumbling words Abbey couldn't understand.

She lowered her face towards his and gently smoothed back his hair.

"It's going to be okay". Abbey mumbled, "the medic will arrive shortly, and you'll get to be around those nurses…maybe you'll even see that British nurse again, Jack. I bet she'd love to see you again".

Webster looked up.

"Where the fuck is the medic?!" He yelled across the room.

And as if my magic, Roe appeared with Martin.

"Out of the way!" The Sargent ordered, "let the doc do his job!"

It was still loud.

Abbey stayed by Jackson's side, while Roe went to his other side.

"Alright, Jackson. Take it easy, okay". The medic soothed, while he took Jackson's head into his hands to examine the wounds on his face and head.

Jackson was still breathing heavily but Roe had calmed him down, just enough.

He looked inside his mouth, trying to locate anything preventing him from choking.

And all was quiet inside the basement.

The Germans stopped yelling; the men stopped shouting.

All they could hear was Jackson breathing and the muffled explosions from outside.

"Light. I need some light". Roe ordered calmly.

It was Sisk who handed the medic his lighter.

And he held the small flame by Jackson's eye.

"Jackson, look at that flame". Roe murmured, "alright? Look at the flame".

Everyone was standing around and watching.

"Okay, that's good". Roe praised gently.

Abbey found herself leaning further towards Jackson.

Eyebrows creating the smallest of frowns.

And then, another sob left Jackson.

"Alright, let's get him out of here". Roe said.

Jackson started crying again.

"I don't 'wanna die! I don't 'wanna die!"

Abbey helped a few others carefully place Jackson onto a stretcher.

"Jack, it's going to be okay". She said, voice growing louder when the firing from outside intensified.

Everyone was trying to calm him down.

**Boom! **

A shell must have hit the building next to theirs because the ceiling started to shake.

Carefully, they lowered Jackson and the stretcher onto the ground.

"I don't 'wanna die! I don't 'wanna die!"

Abbey grabbed his face, so their eyes met.

"Jack, you are not going to die!"

He started to choke and gurgle.

Abbey's eyes widened a little.

_Oh, no. _

Jackson let out another weak sob, his hand gripping onto her arm.

His body started to spasm, while he tried to breathe in.

"Stop…". Abbey whispered, shaking her head. "No – come on, Jack!"

Her voice broke off at the end.

Abbey swallowed back a horrible feeling in her throat.

Slowly, his eyes slipped shut.

Jackson's head rolled to the side and he let out his last breath.

And his hand left her jacket and fell to the side.

Abbey closed her eyes.

The heavy feeling of loss hit everyone in the room.

A few of them had tears rolling down their faces.

She opened her eyes and very gently, placed Jackson's head down onto the ground.

Abbey let out a shuddering breath, while her head went onto his chest.

She could hear Heffron say a small prayer.

And she stayed there for a few minutes, until Martin came over with a blanket.

Abbey sat up and took the blanket.

She unfolded it and gave it a few flaps, before she neatly placed it over her friend's body. And everyone looked on in silence, while their friends covered a friend. Abbey made sure her friend was tucked in, before she slowly got onto her feet. The other medics placed him back onto the stretcher, preparing to move him.

Abbey placed her hand onto one of the medic's arm.

"Look after him". She mumbled.

His face twitched in confusion.

But he gave her a nod, "I will".

Abbey let go of his arm and took a step back.

Chewing the inside of her cheek, she turned around.

Her eyes landed on Martin, who was staring back at her.

Abbey took a step closer.

She had to know.

"How did it…how did it happen?"

Abbey's voice sounded numb, she felt numb.

Martin ran a hand down his face, "his own grenade, Abbey".

Her face formed a frown.

Crossing her arms, she looked down at her boots.

Abbey could see that her legs were shaking.

Her whole body was shaking.

But she didn't feel anything.

Abbey closed her eyes again.

She suddenly felt sick.

A hand was placed on her arm, Abbey kept her eyes closed.

"Let's get you back". It was Roe, "you're still not better".

Giving her head a little shake, she opened her eyes again.

Turning around, Abbey spotted Heffron.

"Babe". She called over quietly.

And he walked right over to her.

"Alright, Abbey?" Heffron asked her.

"Did that…did that really happen?" Abbey whispered, "cause I – I'm not sure".

A breathless sound exited her.

Halfway between a laugh and a cry.

Roe gave her arm a squeeze, "come along, Abbey-"

"yeah". Heffron croaked, "it really happened".

It was hard to process, losing another friend.

Abbey allowed Roe to lead her out of the house and back towards CP.

Around them, they could hear the exchange of fierce fire.

But they were so immune to it by now.

So, they didn't rush across the street, they walked at a normal pace, maybe even slower.

Walking into CP, Roe led her back down the corridor and into the empty room. Letting go of her, he pulled bakc the blankets and sat her down on the bed. Abbey reached down and started to take off her wet boots, socks and then trousers and jacket. Roe took her wet clothes and hung them up around a fireplace, leaving them there to dry.

Abbey lay in the bed, blanket pulled up to her chin.

She stared at the ceiling with a blank expression.

"You want some tea?" Roe offered, figuring she'd be better off sleeping at the moment.

And she contemplated it.

Before shaking her head.

No, she didn't need help sleeping.

Abbey didn't plan on sleeping.

She had a lot to thank Jackson for and he'd never know just how much his friendship meant to her. Jackson got her out of the barrack. He handed her the purple smoke grenade to smoke Evans barrack when he and Sobel took their things in Mackall. Jackson just wanted to live a normal life after the war. He wanted to get married and have children of his own. He didn't need a medal of honour to prove how brave he was – none of them did.

"Budge up".

Abbey moved to the side.

Roe got into the space next to her.

The pair of them remained quiet.

He never talked; she didn't want to.

But just like that foxhole back in the forest, the pair of them fell asleep next to each other.


	56. Chapter 55

It was quiet.

Abbey was staring at the ceiling, fingers pressing against each other. While she tried to make out any signs of life around her. She was alone in the bed, Roe must have left a couple of hours ago, or when she finally fell asleep. But Abbey was wide awake now. She could remember everything; from the moment she opened her eyes.

Her friend was gone.

Jackson was gone.

Another pole right through the heart.

Abbey didn't want to get out of bed. She didn't want to face the day. Her plan was to hide in bed until they were ordered to move out. It wasn't like she had orders to get up, anyway. She was meant to be here, in order to get better. So, Abbey would respect that order and stay put for the time being.

Rolling onto her side, she faced the wall.

Abbey curled up into a ball and felt her heart race.

She closed her eyes, willing herself to calm down.

But then the door opened, and her heart drummed faster.

It closed again; footsteps walked towards her.

Her eyes opened, while they searched the wall.

The person standing beside the bed let out a small sigh.

"Hey, Abbey".

Her face formed into a deep frown.

She swallowed back the lump in her throat.

And her eyes started to sting with tears.

Liebgott sat down on the edge of the bed.

He didn't say anything straight away.

But he did place a hand on her back, "you 'wanna get up? We've 'gotta talk".

It was the last thing she wanted to do.

Abbey shook her head.

"No". She mumbled, in a small voice. "Not really, Lieb".

Liebgott's frown matched hers, though he couldn't see it.

She was still facing the wall.

Abbey cleared her throat, "sorry".

He gave his head a little shake, "it's alright, Abbey". Liebgott said, "we – uh – we can talk here, huh?"

Rubbing her lips together, she closed her eyes again.

"Already know about Jack". Abbey whispered.

He sighed again.

"Yeah…I know, Abbey". Liebgott murmured, "I ain't here about that".

"Okay". She mumbled.

He cleared his throat, "look – uh – they want another patrol tonight".

Abbey's eyes opened.

"What?" She whispered.

"Yeah". Liebgott muttered, "we're doing a debrief soon. You should come".

"I was not apart of the patrol". Abbey reminded him.

"Right". He said, "but…but you were then when-"

"I don't think – no, it's okay".

She closed her eyes again, exhaling shakily.

"I will stay here".

Liebgott felt concern over his friend.

But he could respect her decision.

He wasn't about to force her to talk about losing a close friend.

"Alright, Abbey". Liebgott said to her softly, "you need anything?"

Abbey shook her head.

"No thank you". She whispered.

"You sure?" He pressed, "cause Abbey…whatever you want, huh?"

Her bottom lip quivered slightly.

She quickly bit down on her lip.

"No". Abbey croaked, "I just – it's okay".

She then reached behind her and gave his arm a squeeze.

"It'll be okay".

He felt his heart squeeze at the gesture.

Liebgott took in a deep breath.

"I – uh – I 'gotta go check up on things. They're moving the prisoners".

Abbey nodded a little.

She could understand him wanting to be alone for a while.

Liebgott gave her hand a little squeeze, "I'll stop by later, Abbey".

"Okay". She whispered.

…

It was later in the afternoon and Abbey had soon moved out of bed.

She was standing outside, looking over the river, trying to work out how Jackson could have been hit by his own grenade. She knew he must have walked in during the blast but why? How did it happen? Where was he standing? It was torture.

Abbey crossed her arms over her chest.

The water was still. And across the river was quiet.

Nothing like last night.

And now, they had to do it all over again.

"Corporal".

Abbey's arms uncrossed from her chest and lay gently by her side.

Speirs walked over and stood next to her.

The pair of them continued to look across the river, while the sky started to turn orange from the setting sun. Abbey knew it was later in the afternoon, but she forgot to check the time.

"Feeling better?" Speirs asked her.

Nodding, Abbey then tilted her head to the side.

Her nose twitched.

"You drugged me". She accused softly.

The Captain didn't respond.

And there was a small pause.

"I did, yeah". Speirs admitted.

Abbey's lips twitched.

And a tiny burst of laughter shot out of her.

Speirs raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

Hoping she hadn't just lost her mind.

Abbey laughed, only for a few seconds. And like always, it ended with a sigh. But this sigh was shaky and unstable, and her eyes looked far too shinny. Taking in a deep breath, she rubbed one of her eyes and gave her head a shake.

Speirs really was nutty.

The Captain cracked a tiny smile.

"I have good reasons". He defended, "I saw you head towards the briefing. I knew what you were planning to do, Corporal". Speirs said, "trouble is, you were still sick and could have put yourself and the patrol at risk. The only way to stop you was to spike your tea with anti-sickness tablets. Which was completely safe".

Abbey gave her head a shake again.

"I would say I am sorry-"

"don't, sir". She mumbled, "you don't mean it".

Speirs smiled again.

"Well, glad we have that understanding, Corporal".

Abbey rubbed the back of her neck, "and now?"

Speirs shrugged, "well, you seem well enough".

She sighed softly.

Abbey didn't want another patrol.

No one did.

Her face turned serious once more, "he was my very good friend".

Speirs moved his eyes across the river.

"Private Jackson?" He asked quietly.

Abbey nodded, "yes". She mumbled, "he had a brother and younger sister. Two parents. They used to go camping a lot and Jack was always getting into trouble for doing reckless things".

"You know, it's my job to write to the parents".

Her frown deepened.

"I – uh – it doesn't get any easier". Speirs said to her, "your son died a hero…that's what we tell them, to make them feel better". He sighed, "I don't think it works. You know? They lost their kid, and nothing could replace that".

It felt like something just crashed into her chest.

Abbey clenched her jaw.

Clearing his throat, Speirs took in a deep breath.

"I'm sorry you lost your friend, Corporal".

She closed her eyes and bit down on her lip.

And soon, a hand was placed on her shoulder.

Abbey opened her eyes and looked at Speirs.

He gave her a tiny smile, "lot of changes are happening. Be ready".

She let out a little huff, "I'm not good with change, sir".

Speirs shrugged, "yeah? Well, you just 'gotta be now".

Abbey didn't know what he was warning her about.

But she could always appreciate how blunt he was.

Rubbing her lips together, she looked out towards the river again.

Footsteps soon approached them.

Letting go of her shoulder, Speirs took a step to the side.

Abbey turned around.

"Feeling better, Abbey?" Winters asked.

His voice was still kind, but it sounded a little sad at the same time.

She gave him a small nod.

Abbey saluted the officers.

"See you soon, sir".

…

Back down in the 2nd Platoon basement, the men from the patrol were gathered around.

Abbey felt a little awkward walking in at first.

She took off her helmet and stood by the doorway.

But Martin greeted her with a smile, "hey, Abbey".

It felt like months since she last saw these guys.

Abbey walked towards the table and sat down next to the Sargent and Heffron. The men were quiet, while they prepared for another patrol that night. They cleaned their rifles, drank hot coffee and smoked. And before she could blink, a cup of coffee was placed in front of her.

Frowning a little, she looked up.

Vest gave her a brief smile.

"Thank you". Abbey whispered.

"You're welcome".

She picked up the cup and nodded, "okay".

Vest snorted softly, with another smile.

Sighing, he gave her shoulder a clap before retaking his seat.

Abbey took a sip of coffee.

She was aware of the silence and wasn't sure if she had something to do with that. Abbey put the cup down and looked over at Heffron, who was shuffling a deck of cards. He looked at her and stopped shuffling them.

"You're coming tonight, right?"

Abbey nodded.

"Yes. I am going this time".

Heffron gave her arm a gentle and affectionate nudge.

"Good. Can't do another one without our girl".

She smiled a little.

Toye called her that.

Webster then came down the stairs, "Sarge, they're on their way in".

Martin got up, "ten, Hutt!"

Abbey, a little confused, frowned and quickly got up.

Winters soon walked in, with Speirs and Nixon behind.

"Martin". He greeted.

"Sir".

He walked towards the men and Abbey.

"At ease". Winters told them softly. "This everybody, Grant?"

"Yes, sir".

They moved over to the table.

Abbey stood at the front next to Heffron.

"You men did an excellent job last night". Winters began, while he took off his helmet and gently set it down on the table, "I'm – uh – I'm proud…I just saw Colonel Sink, he's proud too. In fact, he's so proud he wants you to do another patrol across the river, tonight".

No one batted an eyelid.

They already knew. And a few of the faces looked exhausted.

Winters checked his watch, "any moment now, the outpost we hit last night will go up in flames, Martin?"

"Yes, sir".

"It means we'd have to venture further into town this time. Captain Speirs, you have the map, please?"

Speirs brought out the map and handed it to Grant, who then unfolded it on the table.

Abbey leaned forwards, so she could see the map better.

"We have enemy movement here, and here".

Winters pointed at the map, marking where the movement was.

"Which means…this is our new house target, here".

Abbey followed his finger.

Her eyes squinted, focusing in on how far that house was from the river.

"We recovered all the boats". Winters said, "so, we'll be setting off from the same place we did last night".

"We're not changing the plan any, sir?" Martin asked, with a tiny frown.

"No, plan is the same". He responded, "it will be 0200 hours instead of 0100. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir".

They all replied back.

"Okay. Good. Because uh…".

Abbey blinked and looked up at him.

He looked uncertain about something.

His eyes were trying to work something out.

Like he was trying to make a decision.

"I want you all to get a full night's sleep tonight". Winters told them quietly.

And she blinked again, highly confused.

_What?_

"Which means, in the morning, you will report to me that you made it across the river, into German lines, but were unable to secure any live prisoners".

It was hard to process what Winters was telling them.

But then again, maybe it wasn't.

Of course, if anyone was going to get them out of a pointless patrol, it would have been him.

And the feeling of respect, spread out across the room.

"Understand?" Winters asked them softly.

"Yes, sir".

But even then, they still sounded dumbfounded.

"Good". Winters gathered up the map and his helmet. "Look sharp for tomorrow". He then added, before leaving the basement, "we're moving off the line".


	57. Chapter 56

_ "We're moving off the line". _

Abbey was leaning against the counter in the CP.

She could see Lieutenant Jones, the officer she hadn't actually spoken to.

He was standing by the open doorway, while Winters, Nixon, Speirs and Welsh were inside with Lipton. Abbey wasn't sure why their first Sargent was standing with the officers, but it soon became clear, when Winters promoted him to 2nd Lieutenant.

_ "We're moving off the line". _

Lipton had a huge grin on his face.

The other officers did as well, while they shook hands and offered their congratulations. It was a very proud moment for Lipton and Easy. He was a Toccoa man and was one of the best NCO's in the Company, perhaps even the entire 101st.

And it was good to see Welsh back with them.

He seemed to be in high spirits after being wounded on Christmas day.

Behind her, Luz was grinning.

His eyes were even shinning a little.

Their chests were bursting with pride for Lipton.

And the newly promoted Lieutenant gave them both a smile and nod.

To which Luz nodded back to him.

_ "We're moving off the line". _

Winters soon moved to stand in front of Lieutenant Jones.

"Lieutenant Jones". He addressed, "Regiment has seen fit to promote you to first Lieutenant".

Abbey's lips parted.

That man did one patrol and he got promoted?

But at least Jones looked happy about it.

"They want you on staff up there".

A piece of paper was handed to him.

"Congratulations". Winters shook his hand, "and good luck".

"Thank you, sir".

"Dismissed".

Behind the counter, Luz then said;

"looks like you lost another Platoon leader, huh, guys?"

Webster snorted softly, with a tiny smile.

Abbey sighed quietly.

_ What the hell were they going to get next? _

"Corporal Harrison".

Her eyes picked up.

Winters gave her a kind smile, "a word, please".

Frowning a little, Abbey moved away from the counter and into the room.

In the back, she could see Welsh, Speirs and Lipton still celebrating.

Nixon grinned at them and walked towards them.

"Hey – put that crap down, Lip…have some of this stuff".

Abbey could only guess he meant his Vat 69.

She felt a little nervous.

And it was clearly shown on her face.

_ "We're moving off the line". _

It was conflicting.

On one hand, Abbey was relieved to be going off the line.

But on the other, she felt bad about it.

Because Jackson _just_ missed it.

And that tore her up inside.

Winters continued to smile at her.

"Well, it's been quite a journey, huh?"

Her eyebrows twitched.

_ Was she getting booted out? _

"It seems only right that you take over 1st squad, Abbey". He continued, "once Grant gets promoted to Platoon Sargent, I think 1st squad should be in the best hands possible. And we've all agreed on you, Abbey. Heffron, Liebgott and Grant have recommended you".

Her teeth clenched together tightly.

Abbey looked down at her boots.

_ Sargent? _

Never in her life, did she ever think of herself as a Sargent.

Christ, Abbey didn't see herself leaving her home.

Or her room, for that matter.

She didn't even think she'd survive Toccoa.

"How did I manage?" She thought to herself.

Abbey followed orders. She wanted everything to be perfect.

And now, things weren't perfect, but it was beautiful.

Some parts of it were.

Toye's singing, which wasn't perfect.

Those unperfect but funny jokes Skip would tell them.

How a dark situation could turn light again.

It had been some journey; Winters was right about that.

And it only seemed fair to give it a good ending.

Abbey looked back up at him.

Only seconds had passed but her thoughts could have gone on for hours.

"Thank you, sir".

His smile widened.

Abbey went to salute him.

However, Winters took her hand instead.

"I'm proud of you, Abbey".

Something got lodged in her throat and her eyes started to sting.

Taking in a shaky breath, Abbey bit down on her quivering lip.

"You don't have to lie, sir". Her voice was brittle.

Winters smile saddened, he gave her hand a little squeeze.

And the officers in the back of the room quietened down.

"I wouldn't lie to you, Abbey Harrison". He said, "you'd see right through it".

Turning her hand over and opening it, Winters placed the Sargent patch in her palm.

"Congratulations, Sargent".

Clearing her throat, Abbey looked down at the patch.

_Okay_. She thought.

_ Time to step up. _

…

It felt good to be back with her Platoon again.

They were happy to see her and for all the promotions, it gave them a great excuse to drink a lot of alcohol that night. Abbey didn't ask where they got it from, she was just happy to accept whatever was handed to her. Schnapps, beer and Cognac – mostly. And everything saved from Holland. It felt good to get drunk with her friends again, it had been a while since they last celebrated something and knowing that the next day, they'd be back at camp.

Abbey lost count on how much she had drunk.

She wasn't sure if the alcohol was going to make things any better but for that night, it sure helped a lot. Abbey wasn't thinking about anything bad; she was just focused on everyone else having a good time. And they were having a good time. They laughed, talked and played cards.

The men celebrated.

Abbey ran a hand down her face.

She was going to feel rough tomorrow, that was for sure.

"Hey, Abbey!" Liebgott waved her over, "tell Lieutenant Jones about you and Bill".

Frowning a little, she wondered over to them.

"You know". He explained, "when you both busted out of jail".

Her eyes wondered towards the wall.

And she smiled.

"I screamed in the vent". Abbey said, "a spider climbed on me".

Heffron chuckled, "yeah?"

She nodded, "yes. I was very…surprised".

"Nah – you was scared". Liebgott pointed out with a smirk, "Bill told us".

"I was highly concerned". Abbey corrected.

The men around Jones laughed.

"She was scared-"

"a fucking spider spooked her".

"How did you face the Krauts, huh?" Popeye joked lightly.

Abbey sighed.

She took another sip and then said after;

"I'll never know".

The mood stayed lifted while they talked about good old days.

Some out in combat but a lot more during their time in training.

Especially when it came to London.

Things started to get a little loud for Abbey.

Being drunk didn't feel good anymore for her.

Most of Easy had managed to squeeze into the basement.

It was very crowded.

Abbey was cornered in the room and Liebgott found her there.

Giving her a small smile, he took her hand.

"Let's get some air". He suggested, "pretty busy, huh?"

The corner of her lips twitched.

She nodded and the pair of them squeezed through the crowd and headed up the stairs. Once the door opened, a breath of fresh air hit her face. Abbey breathed in, feeling relieved to be out of the basement. Liebgott sat down on the second step outside the house and lit up a cigarette, while Abbey stood a few feet in front of him, admiring the clear sky.

She was quiet.

Liebgott expected that.

So, he basked in the silence and relaxed.

"They didn't tell me".

But then came her voice.

It cut into the silence like a sharp knife.

Liebgott's eyes wondered to the back of her head.

He frowned, "what?"

Abbey's head was facing the sky.

"My parents". She said, "they don't want me to know where they are".

He blew out the smoke.

"Why?" Liebgott asked.

"I don't know". Abbey mumbled. "But…I am caring less".

"Is that so?"

"Yes".

He nodded slowly, "so…why bring it up, Abbey?"

Her eyes remained focused on one star.

"Because I still care…slightly". She whispered, "and I wonder, am I that bad, Lieb? Is it really that hard to be around me?"

Liebgott's face fell.

"No". He said quietly, shaking his head. "Wish you'd stop fucking thinking that-"

"but it's all I heard".

Abbey rubbed her lips together.

"They tell me I'm different". She said, "and now I know why…".

Liebgott didn't like it when she beat around the bush.

He sighed and stubbed out his cigarette.

"Alright". He made a gesture with his hands, "what is it you know?"

Abbey's shoulders dropped.

"I had a friend called Harry". She whispered, "back in Liverpool. He lived in my street. I was four, he was five and we both loved to play Peter Pan. That was his favourite book and it soon became my favourite-"

"yeah". Liebgott whispered, "yeah – you'd always read it".

"I did". Abbey confirmed quietly, "yes. That and the Hobbit – which you saved for me".

He smiled a little.

Liebgott did that when they crossed the Atlantic.

"I don't remember much about Harry". Abbey continued softly, "but one memory sticks out and I only started to remember when I joined Easy".

She took in a deep breath.

"Harry jumped off the dock and into the angry sea because he thought he could fly".

Liebgott stilled.

He wasn't expecting that.

Abbey's head lowered.

"Like…like Peter Pan". She whispered, "and I tried to stop him and find him, but my mum pulled me off the railings. I saw his hand…before it disappeared with the rest of his body".

"Jesus". Liebgott breathed out.

"Since". Abbey said softly, "I have always wanted things to be perfect and observe everything, take everything in because I do not want to miss anything".

It explained a lot.

And it wasn't her fault.

But there she was, blaming herself.

"But…but I fuck up". Abbey croaked, "I fuck up. Because it can never be perfect".

Liebgott got onto his feet, eyes never leaving the back of her head.

"Nothing will". Her voice broke, "and that's just what happens when you leave your little bubble, where all your friends used to live inside books. And then you make friends, people you admire and love – and it's-".

She cut herself off, with a little sniff.

"It's shitty". Liebgott said, very quietly.

Abbey nodded.

He stood in front of her and placed both hands on her shoulders.

"But you had that real fucking experience". Liebgott said, "you had real friends, Abbey. You know? They ain't in your books, they were right in front of you and they knew you".

Her eyes were filled with unleashed tears.

And Liebgott hated to see them.

"You're 'gonna be alright".

He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.

Her face pressed against his shoulder.

"You're 'gonna be alright". He murmured, "still got me, huh?"

Abbey's arms went around him.

She nodded.

"And hell – I love you, Abbey". Liebgott said, "you're my sister out here".

She smiled small.

While a tear rolled down her cheek.

_ "She's the Easy Company sister". _

And they were all her brothers.

Her family.

…

Abbey was rough the next morning, they all felt hungover.

She tossed her bag into the back of the truck, with great effort.

And Heffron caught it, with a huff.

"Jesus – Abbey". He mumbled, "you got bricks in there?"

It was back to normal again.

She rubbed her hands together and walked across the street to grab the other bags. When the wind picked up Winters voice.

"Oak Leaves". He sounded surprised.

Abbey stopped walking and looked over.

Winters and Nixon were standing by a jeep.

"Congratulations, Major". His friend said, with a salute.

Abbey smiled a little.

Winters was now in command of 2nd Battalion.

If that man wasn't careful, he'd be running the whole 506th.

Abbey collected the last of the bags and closed the front door behind her.

Turning around, she made her way back towards the truck.

"Hey, Abbey!"

Luz called, who was standing by the truck in front of theirs.

She looked over at him, while she handed Heffron the bag.

He grinned, "how about some tea and honey, huh?"

Abbey's eyes widened a little.

She blinked a few times.

Luz chuckled, "hey – I hear things".

Shaking her head, Abbey smiled.

"This one won't put you to sleep, Abbey".

It lifted her mood.

And soon, she was sitting down on the truck.

They were off the line.

And it felt great.


	58. Chapter 57

"I can't. I'm sick".

"Really?"

"Yeah…".

"Only, you look fine".

Heffron sighed.

"Abbey, I'm sick".

Biting her lower lip, she shrugged.

"Fine". Abbey mumbled, "you're sick…I'll go and tell Speirs".

Frowning, Heffron sat up.

"What?" He hissed.

"Well…he has to know, Babe". She explained, "you will need a day of rest in the aid-"

"don't tell him!" Heffron exclaimed, "just – tell him you sent me there".

"Babe". Abbey said, "if you are sick, then you have nothing to hide".

It wasn't the first time someone had tried to pull one on Abbey.

The usual culprits were Heffron, Liebgott and Eddie Stein.

The replacements didn't dare fake being sick to get out of exercises.

They knew better.

Heffron flopped back onto the pillow, while Abbey moved away from the bed.

She headed towards the entrance of the twelve-man green tent and opened the flap.

The weather was growing warmer every day, but it didn't mean the rain stopped.

Currently, it had been raining every day for five days.

The place was a sea of mud.

Every time Abbey walked out of the tent; she'd almost slip.

Which wouldn't be any good, considering they now had clean clothes and brand-new Class A uniforms. Abbey didn't want to get covered in mud, not her Class A's, anyway. Around her, men were walking from one tent to another, trying to avoid slipping in the mud. They were getting ready for the next field exercise. Which no one wanted to do, especially the veterans. But they had a whole lot of replacements to train. And they couldn't train themselves.

Abbey wished they would.

She had been given five replacements.

They were green, wide-eyed and between the ages of twenty and twenty-three.

A lot of the replacements were aged eighteen.

Their youngest was only seventeen.

But he wasn't in Abbey's squad, she had the older replacements.

"Hey, Sarge!"

One of her replacements was named John Janovec.

He was twenty, around six foot and athletic looking.

And he was also very fun to be around.

"Sarge! When do we leave, Sarge?!"

Abbey rubbed her ear.

"John, what have we talked about?" She mumbled.

Giving her a sheepish smile, Janovec took a step back.

"To not shout in your ear, Sarge".

She smiled a little.

It didn't really matter, Abbey never minded.

"Yes, John". She answered his question, "we leave in five minutes. Please make sure you have everything you need".

Janovec gave her a sharp nod.

"Yes, Sarge!"

He shouted in her ear again.

But he never meant it.

Abbey smiled small, "good for you, John".

With Janovec rushing towards his tent with the other members from 1st squad, Abbey made her way towards the officer's tent. Opening the flap, she stepped inside and saw the man himself sitting on the edge of a bed and packing his things.

"Morning, sir". Abbey greeted.

Speirs looked up and gave her a nod.

"Sargent". He murmured, looking back towards his things.

"Babe's taking the day off".

"Right".

A few of the officers soon cleared the tent, once all their things were packed.

Abbey took a step to the side, letting them past.

Speirs got up from the bed, picking up his bag.

"That all?" He asked.

He was obviously board of another exercise too.

Abbey gave him a nod.

"Yes, sir".

Speirs walked over to the entrance of the tent and opened the flap.

He took a step to the side and nodded towards the entrance.

Taking the hint, Abbey walked under the flapped.

Outside again, she noticed that the rain was falling harder now.

Just in time for another exercise.

"I thought he was sick". Speirs commented flatly.

Frowning a little, Abbey followed his stare.

Heffron was standing with her squad.

Looks like he changed his mind.

"He must feel well enough, sir".

"That". He said, "or, he feels bad for letting you down".

"And decided to come anyway?" Abbey asked, with a small frown.

She highly doubted that.

Heffron probably didn't want to get into trouble for faking.

Either way, it was good to have him apart of the exercise.

"Why not?" Speirs said, "anyway, I need to ask you something".

Abbey fell into step with the Captain.

The pair of them walked down the muddy and unstable path.

"Sir?"

She was curious, as ever.

He always managed to surprise her.

"I've got a furlough to England next week". Speirs said to her, "I need you to come with me".

And that surprised her.

But Abbey couldn't pass off that offer.

"Okay". She mumbled.

His lips twitched, "great". Speirs said, "get your squad ready to move, Sargent".

"Yes, sir".

…

One week later, Abbey found herself back in England.

In the county of Wiltshire, lay a lovely little place called Wilton.

Much like Aldbourne, it had neat little houses with thatched-roofs and cobbled streets, with large Shire horses pulling carts, full of fruits and vegetables. Being back in civilisation was the strangest experience of Abbey's life. Everyone was in a good mood in Wilton. Shops were open for business; houses weren't harmed, and people weren't wounded or covered in blood.

And the best part, no one carried a weapon.

She had no idea why Speirs brought her along, but Abbey didn't care.

It felt free being back in England.

England must have been happy to see them because the sun was shinning when they arrived. As soon as they stepped off that ship, everything was sunny and warm. They docked at Portsmouth, where they were welcomed back into England with a coffee and a shot of whiskey.

God, it felt good to be back.

"Follow me".

Speirs led the way, Abbey followed him.

The pair of them walked up a little street and were soon inside a pub.

This was their home for the next five days.

Abbey's room was small and sat right at the end of the corridor.

She had a tiny window, which looked out into a field full of sheep.

Her bed was pressed up against the window.

It was a little stuffy inside the room, Abbey opened the window.

She stuck her head outside and was greeted by the sheep.

Smiling, Abbey leaned against the open window and watched the white and fluffy animals, while they grazed in the field and allowed their lambs to nurse.

When someone knocked on the door, Abbey got a fright and ended up banging her head.

Rubbing the top of her head, she jumped down from the bed and walked towards the door.

Of course, it was Speirs.

He was wearing his Class A uniform, looking as smart as ever.

Abbey frowned and tilted her head to the side.

_ Why did he look so smart? _

"Dress in your Class A's". He ordered her, "you have a wedding to attend".

Her lips parted.

_ What?_

"What do you-"

"my wedding". Speirs sighed, "I needed a best man".

That just furthered her confusion.

For many reasons.

First, she looked herself up and down – just checking.

Abbey was, indeed, still female.

"And a witness". Speirs continued, "I figured…you'd come along".

"You never told me". Abbey accused, "but then again, you did drug me".

He smiled, "exactly".

She huffed out a tiny laugh.

"Very good, sir".

"Meet you down in the pub in ten minutes".

"Right, sir".

Abbey took six minutes to get ready.

She changed into her Class A uniform, gave her hair a brush and her boots a quick polish, before walking down the stairs and into pub. Speirs was standing by the counter, drinking a beer. She stood next to him; another beer was on the counter.

"That's for you". Speirs said to her, "we'll have this and then go".

"Yes, okay". Abbey picked up the beer and took a sip.

Warm beer.

It tasted like home.

Speirs downed that beer pretty quickly and he ordered another one.

"And a double whiskey".

The bartender raised an eyebrow, "big day, Captain?"

"It's my wedding day".

That made the old man smile, "ah – all the best to you, laddie. This ones on the house".

Abbey sipped her beer at a normal pace.

And she watched the Captain.

He looked different.

Speirs even loosened his collar a bit.

The bartender put his free drinks down, "nervous, laddie?"

Sighing, the Captain cleared his throat, "no, it's just a wedding".

Abbey nodded in agreement, "exactly, sir".

"I've faced far worse-"

"you were in Bastogne-"

"and Foy".

"That's right". Abbey mumbled.

They both took a drink.

Abbey put down her empty glass of beer.

"I need a whiskey". She mumbled.

The bartender grinned, "coming right up".

While he was sorting out a whiskey, Abbey looked at her watch.

"When and where is the wedding?"

"Across the road". Speirs told her, "in the church".

She nodded, "plenty of time".

"I know".

Abbey smiled a little.

Maybe Speirs was slightly nervous.

And the funny part was, Abbey didn't know the woman's name.

"Here you go". The bartender put down her whiskey, "on the house, Sargent".

Smiling, Abbey picked up the glass.

"So…what's her name, sir?"

"Margaret Griffiths". Speirs replied, "she's – uh – I met her while we were stationed here".

"That's nice". Abbey said softly.

"We have a son".

She looked at him.

Speirs sighed, "I know…baby before marriage. It's not-"

"it's fine". Abbey cut him off quietly, shrugging. "It's no one else's business, sir".

Smiling, he gave her a nod.

Abbey raised her glass, "here's to you, sir".

Their glasses clinked together.

And they downed the rest of the whiskey.

"Let's do this".

Abbey gave him another smile, "right behind you, sir".

…

The church wasn't decorated.

It was obviously a last-minute wedding.

Abbey was standing by Speirs and she could spot Margaret's family members sitting down on the benches, while they waited for the ceremony to take begin. They gave her odd looks and probably wondered why his best man was a female.

And then, an old lady started playing the organ.

The doors opened and two women walked down the aisle.

They were wearing light pink dresses.

Their make-up was done very colourfully.

Especially the cheeks. They were very red.

Abbey had never seen such rosy cheeks.

And she had to cough back a laugh.

Speirs looked at her, setting her a tiny glare.

"Sargent". He hissed, "shut up".

"Sorry".

"You're not".

Abbey smiled, "that's why I'm sorry, sir".

Speirs snorted and looked back towards the doors.

And the amusement washed from his eyes, when he saw his bride-to-be.

She had a lovely bouquet of pink and white roses, placed neatly in her hands. And her dress was ivory, long and her vail trailed behind her feet. Margaret looked like an angel. Abbey couldn't take her eyes off her, much like Speirs.

Everyone was standing up.

Margret made her way down the aisle, a large smile on her face.

And Abbey looked at Speirs, who shared that wonderful smile.

She was glad to be apart of this.

Her first wedding.

The ceremony wasn't too long and soon, they were both married.

Husband and wife.

Everyone cheered and clapped, while they threw rice at them.

Abbey didn't understand that part.

_ Why did they have rice? _

It was still a lovely day.

When they left the church, the sun was still shinning.

Speirs and Margaret looked truly happy and they made such an ideal couple.

With the ceremony over, the celebrations continued inside a large pub.

The people who owned it had set everything up for them.

Tables and chairs were decorated with pink ribbons, banners were placed high up on the walls. And the smell of a roast dinner reached their senses when they walked inside. Abbey had a seat next to Speirs, while Margaret's maid of honour sat next to her.

"Sargent". Speirs said to her lowly.

Abbey looked at him, "sir?"

"You ready?"

She frowned, confused.

"Sir?"

"The speech". Speirs said to her, "the best man makes a speech".

Blinking a few times, Abbey turned to face the strangers inside the pub.

She had to make a speech.

_ Why didn't he tell me?_

_ Oh, Jesus. _

Well, Abbey would just have to wing it.

And she gave her Captain a confident nod.

Because this was his day and she couldn't mess this up.

"Ready, sir".

Speirs smiled, "great". He said, "take it away, Sargent".

Taking off her cap, she set it down neatly on the table.

Breathing in deeply, Abbey got onto her feet.

Picking up the knife, she tapped it against the glass, getting everyone's attention. The crowd wasn't that big, Abbey thought it would be fine. She could make up something, as long as it was nice and suited the mood. But the trouble was, Abbey had never been good at talking in front of people. She even struggled with her squad still.

"H-hello".

Speirs leaned back and looked up at her.

All eyes were on Abbey now.

"How nice of everyone to show up". She said.

It was all Margaret's family and friends.

She didn't know anyone's names.

"Family, friends…and – and the other ones". Abbey cleared her throat.

A few of them pulled slightly confused faces.

"Well…when Captain Speirs asked me to be his best man, I was very shocked". She went on, "for a lot of reasons, really. The main one being, he only asked me two hours ago".

Speirs chuckled, along with the rest.

Abbey sighed.

Maybe she could do this.

"I first met Captain Speirs…".

A small frown took over her features.

She first met him on D-Day, while she carried a wounded Nelson.

"Under strange circumstances". Abbey mumbled softly.

Rubbing her lips together, Abbey took in another deep breath.

"He's – well, he's a great man and well respected throughout our Battalion and the 506th. He really saved the day for us and we couldn't ask for a better leader".

Abbey picked up her glass, she looked at Speirs.

"To the happy couple".

"To the happy couple!" The rest cheered.

Abbey was glad her speech was over with.

She could have killed Speirs.

But he squeezed her shoulder, with a tiny smile.

"Thank you, Sargent".

And Abbey couldn't stay mad at him for long.

Besides, after a lovely meal and three whiskeys later, Abbey had forgotten all about that speech.


	59. Chapter 58

At three in the afternoon, Abbey found herself back in Lime street train station.

In Liverpool.

She didn't ask to go; she didn't want to go.

But Speirs did.

He was interested in seeing where she grew up and what collage she attended. Abbey didn't know why but she couldn't exactly refuse a second time. And after all, Speirs promised to buy all the whiskey she wanted while they were there. So, Abbey accepted the offer. It was free whiskey and she'd never turn that down.

Madryn Street hadn't changed since she last saw it.

The only thing that had changed was her old home, which was no longer empty. A new family had taken over it, with five children and a single mother. According to Anna, the mother had lost her husband in Normandy. And since her house was now occupied with strangers, Abbey and Spiers had no other choice but to stay with Anna.

She didn't mind.

In fact, Anna was very happy to see Abbey again.

"So, you're having a break?" Anna asked the two of them, while she set about making tea.

"Yes". Speirs responded kindly, "we have a week's furlough. Sargent Harrison was my best man at my wedding".

Anna chuckled at the thought.

"First I've heard of it". She said, "but then again, she is a Sargent in the Airborne".

A teapot was soon placed in the centre of the table.

Along with a small jug of milk and a pot of sugar.

Anna took a seat, sitting opposite the two paratroopers.

"So, what happens now?" She asked, "will there be a jump in Berlin?"

The two troopers didn't reply straight away.

Abbey poured the tea into her cup.

She didn't know the answer to that.

So, Speirs decided to answer.

"Uh – we're not sure, ma'am". He told her, "how are things here?"

Anna never asked about the war.

She didn't ask about Bastogne, or Holland.

They were both thankful for that.

Abbey wouldn't even know how to answer a question about combat. Too much happened and she'd find it difficult to talk about. So, Speirs had the right idea in changing the subject quickly. And Anna seemed quite happy to talk about Liverpool and what everyone was doing within the neighbourhood.

"Well, I must say". Anna said, "I wasn't expecting a visit".

"We didn't mean to barge in, ma'am". Speirs told her.

She smiled and shook her head.

"No, it's fine". Anna assured him.

A moment of silence passed them.

Though, Anna was staring at Abbey.

"Actually…". The older woman whispered, "it's a good thing you did come, Abbey".

Abbey's head shot up and her eyes landing on hers.

Some form of dread churned in her stomach.

She didn't like the sound of Anna's voice.

Speirs frowned and looked at his soldier.

But from the looks of it, Abbey had no idea what was going on.

"Something happened, Abbey".

The Sargent's face dropped.

And she turned pale.

She swallowed back the worry.

"What…what happened?" Abbey whispered quietly.

Anna reached over and took Abbey's hand.

"Your parents…they never made it to your relatives".

It felt like the earth had swallowed her up and she was falling into this giant and never ending blackhole. She felt lightheaded and heavy at the same time. She felt sick; she could have vomited on Anna's kitchen floor. That's why they never wrote to her. And after all that time, Abbey thought her parents just didn't want her around anymore.

Abbey swallowed again.

"How did…what happened?" She asked, voice barely a whisper.

Anna squeezed her hands, "car accident, pet".

Abbey didn't know how to handle it.

Things were starting to look up.

They were off the line, Speirs got married.

The men were happy, for the first time in months.

But even then, the world still had it in for her.

Abbey was shocked.

And a hand was placed on her shoulder.

Shaking her head, Abbey quickly got up.

"No – no, it's fine".

Clearing her throat, her hands then went onto her hips.

Licking her bottom lip, her eyes landed on the window.

The sun was still shinning.

And it was such a horrible day.

A hand then went up to her mouth. Her fingers rubbed against her lips, which were parted open in shock. And her head went from side to side, while the tips of her fingers brushed across her lips. Abbey felt her lungs squeeze, she found it hard to take in another breath. And when she cleared her throat again, it sounded choked and tearful. She found that her eyes were filled with salty tears but refused to let any fall. However, when she blinked, a few escaped.

Her breathing got faster.

Chest tighter.

And then, a strange sound came out from her mouth.

It was almost like a whimper, or a small cry for help.

"Sir". She mumbled, feeling lost.

Speirs grabbed her arm and pulled her back down, so she was sitting on the chair.

When she landed on the chair, her hands went over her face.

Abbey felt embarrassed.

But more importantly, she felt her heart breaking.

It hurt _so_ much.

Over and over again.

And when a hand went on her shoulder again, Abbey didn't have the strength to fight it.

She didn't have the strength to fight this.

She was so tired of fighting.

_ I'm so tired of fighting. _

Another choked cry escaped her lips.

Speirs ended up wrapping his whole arm around her shoulders.

And Abbey sat there on that chair, hands over her face, crying properly for the first time in years.

…

The church close to their street had a lovely graveyard.

And it's where her parents were buried.

Abbey placed the flowers by their grave.

She was knelt down, fingers lightly running across the letters of their names. Abbey would be fine one day. But she missed her parents a lot that day. And her younger siblings, who were under the care of their relatives in the country now.

Speirs was standing behind her.

He didn't say anything; which Abbey was thankful for.

Yet again, she appreciated his silence.

Abbey had never visited a grave before.

She had never been to a funeral, but she felt the need to say at least something.

And Abbey didn't think Speirs would mind.

Heck, he'd probably do the same.

The man was religious, after all.

Clearing her throat, Abbey licked her bottom lip.

"I'm sorry, I – I will not be good at this".

The Captain raised an eyebrow.

He wasn't expecting her to say anything.

"But I have grown more sentimental, which I am sure you will both be glad to hear". Abbey sighed quietly, "you have put up with me for eighteen years. And I am sorry that – that I caused you so much hurt and stress throughout our lives together".

She bit down on her lip.

And then said, "I should have…I should have said…I do love you both".

Abbey's lips formed a tight line.

She rubbed the back of her neck.

"I love you both". She whispered, "I had twenty years to tell you and I never did. But that makes me a bad person, not you".

Blinking she felt another tear roll down her face.

"Time is short". Abbey mumbled, "it does not stop, and it doesn't go back. As much as we want it to. There are moments which I regret, that I wish I could stop from happening, that I wish I could change. And I will always have to live with that". She then whispered, "and my biggest regret of all…".

Abbey's voice broke.

She took in another deep breath.

And exhaled shakily.

"My biggest regret was thinking life would always stay the same and I should have trusted you both because it does get better with time. And that's when time is on our side, when things finally start to get better".

Clearing her throat, Abbey nodded.

"You were both remarkable people. And I will miss you forever".

Her hand left the gravestone and she got back onto her feet.

Abbey quickly wiped her face.

"Let's get drunk, sir".

Speirs smiled a little.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, "sounds like a plan, Sargent".

…

Standing on the deck of the ship, Abbey and Speirs shared a bottle of whiskey.

It was only over five hours to get into Caen.

And from there, they'd get a ride back to Mourmelon.

"I think we might survive this, you know".

Abbey looked at Speirs.

"The journey to France?"

The Captain shook his head.

"No – the European war, Sargent".

Abbey faced the ocean again.

She hadn't even thought about the war ending.

The whiskey bottle went back against her lips, while Speirs lit up another cigarette.

Abbey then hummed quietly.

"I see what you did there".

"What?" Speirs asked.

"The European war". She mumbled, "not the whole war".

"Would you jump into another war, Sargent?"

_ Would she? _

Abbey didn't have any other plans.

So, she figured;

"why not".

Speirs snorted and leaned against the railings.

"Why not". He repeated.

…

It was good to see Easy again.

Once they got back into Mourmelon, her squad were eager to greet her.

Especially Janovec.

"Hello, Sarge!"

Like always, Abbey rubbed her ear.

But she had to smile a little.

"Hello, John".

Liebgott smiled and tossed his arm over her shoulders.

"How was England?"

"It was…okay". Abbey shrugged.

She didn't want to bring up her parents.

"Captain Speirs got married, I was his best man".

That tickled Liebgott.

He ended up laughing, "that's fucking crazy!"

And her lips twitched again.

"Yes. I suppose it is".

She then added after a sigh;

"the best people are the nutty ones, Lieb".


	60. Chapter 59

Germany.

They were finally in Germany.

Though, back in Mourmelon, they thought they'd be partaking in the drop to take the Rhineland and that way, they could push the Germans back over the Rhine. But the 101st weren't to take part in another combat jump, Ike chose the 17th instead.

There was a promised jump into Berlin, however.

Nixon was a part of that jump into Rhineland with the 17th and they all watched the C-47's take off and disappear into the sky, secretly wishing they were going with them.

By April, Easy were back on the line.

Struzelberg was a quiet town.

Well, it used to be.

Mostly farmland, with a few shops here and there to look into – break into.

And of course, the houses.

Being on the line was different this time.

Instead of freezing foxholes, they had houses to live in.

They had a place to make coffee, working toilets, plumbing and a fire to light. It was as close to home as it got on the line. Abbey managed to get her squad merged in with Popeye's squad. The two squads shared a lovely house, which looked over the Rhine. And behind them, is where Abbey and a few other NCO's lived.

She shared a house with Malarkey, Grant and Popeye.

They made the best possible roommates.

Whenever someone got home late, there would be a pot of something on the stove. And in the morning, if you woke up later than expected, the house would already be cleaned up, you never had to worry much. But they had the best times when someone had a bottle of something.

And it was Abbey who spotted the strangest bottle of something she had ever seen.

While out searching houses across the Rhine with her squad, Abbey walked down into a basement and opened up a few sealed boxes. Inside, she found the usual – money, jewellery and photos. But under all that was a glass bottle of green liquid.

Curiously, she took the bottle out of the box.

Abbey wiped the dust from the bottle and didn't see a label.

She unscrewed the cap and sniffed.

"Wow". Abbey mumbled.

It was strong. Smelling similar to liquorice.

She wasn't sure if it was meant to be green.

But Abbey took a drink anyway.

As soon as that liquid went down her throat, it felt like she couldn't breathe.

And it burned her insides, as well as leaving her breathless, like she had just been dunked into icy cold water. Abbey grabbed onto the box, trying desperately to breathe again. She slammed her hand against the wood. And eventually, let out a long and shaky breath.

Gasping, she looked at the bottle with watery eyes.

_ What the fuck was that? _

It didn't kill her, not straight away.

And when she took another few drinks, she was already beginning to feel slightly drunk. Abbey huffed out a tiny laugh and screwed the cap back on the bottle. Placing it into her bag, she got onto unsteady feet and staggered back up the stairs.

Feeling slightly buzzed still, Abbey walked back into the house.

She entered the living room and took out the bottle.

"Drink it".

Frowning, Grant looked at the bottle.

"Why is it green?"

Abbey shook her head.

She had no idea.

"Drink it". Abbey urged, giving him the bottle.

Malarkey and Popeye both watch the Platoon Sargent.

He unscrewed the cap and sniffed the liquid first.

Grant pulled a face, "Jesus-"

"I know". Abbey mumbled, "but drink it".

He almost vomited.

And he struggled to breathe, just like it had done for Abbey.

But when it wore off, Grant took another few sips.

"Wow". He whispered, "I feel…".

"I know". Abbey said, "Malark, Pop?"

Soon, the four of them were highly intoxicated.

That green stuff, turned into "magic booze".

And it truly was a wonderful thing.

Abbey was high as a kite; she had never been so happy. Malarkey was in the same boat as her, where as Popeye was getting sick in the kitchen sink and eventually made it to the bathroom. Grant had just vanished into thin air, they didn't know where he got to, but it wasn't a concern, they were too drunk to care. She was in a state of complete euphoria. There was no other feeling like it. Abbey was in the living room still, spinning around in circles with her arms out to the side. The radio was playing. But she wasn't paying attention to the music. She was certain the music playing in her head was far better.

Abbey soon fell onto the ground with a gentle thud.

She had landed on the cushions, which had mysteriously fallen off the couch.

Lying there with a smile, Abbey breathed in slowly.

Her eyes closed for a moment.

And she found a quiet place to venture into.

…

The radio turned to static.

Abbey's eyes opened.

Nothing hurt, she was still drunk.

Sitting up, she looked around the dark room and wondered where her friends had gotten too. She couldn't have been sleeping for that long, not if she was still drunk. But where did everyone go? Last she saw, Popeye was being sick in the toilet and Grant had vanished.

"Malark?" Abbey called out.

But received no reply.

Frowning, she grabbed onto the end of the couch and pulled herself up.

Standing was odd, it almost felt like she didn't have legs.

Abbey looked down and placed her hand onto her knee.

Only, her hand moved at a very slow pace.

And it looked like she was missing her knee, each time.

Abbey straightened herself back up.

She suddenly hated this feeling.

Why couldn't she touch her knee?

"Chuck?" Abbey called out, "Pop?"

Nothing.

She was alone.

Running a hand down her face, Abbey slowly and carefully walked up the stairs, wanting to check the bathroom for Popeye. He could have still been in there, spewing his guts up. However, she couldn't hear the man.

Abbey opened the bathroom door.

He was still there but he wasn't being sick anymore.

Popeye was passed out inside the bathtub.

Abbey had never seen a man look so peaceful before.

Leaving the bathroom, she closed the door behind her and searched the house for Malarkey and Grant. It wasn't very successful. They were nowhere to be seen. Well, upstairs, anyway. Abbey started to walk back down the stairs and she missed the last few steps.

She stumbled and fell.

And it was over by the time she blinked.

Abbey rubbed the side of her head; it had crashed into the stair banister. And something warm and wet came into contact with her dry fingers. Frowning, she pulled her hand back and saw blood. She was bleeding now. Abbey stared at the blood curiously. And with a sigh, she got onto her feet and headed back into the living room.

Abbey picked up the telephone, which was placed on the table.

Figuring Malarkey might be on the other end of the wire.

She pressed the receiver against her ear and a squeak come from the other side.

Soon after, a voice appeared.

_ "CP". _

Highly confused, Abbey sat down on one of the chairs.

"What's that?" She whispered.

_ "You're wasting the line"._ The voice said, _"put the telephone down and go to bed, Sargent"._

It was Speirs.

But of course, it was.

He was their Company commander, after all.

Abbey nodded, forgetting that he couldn't see her.

_"Sargent?"_ Speirs said, _"put the telephone down". _

She continued to nod.

While her eyes spotted something shiny on the wall.

Abbey tilted her head to the side and let out a tiny laugh.

That "magic booze" sure was something else.

Speirs sighed, _"for God's sake"._

And he put his line down.

Abbey continued to stare at the wall, receiver still by her ear.

But then, the shiny thing moved.

She jolted up, slightly startled.

The shiny thing moved quickly from one side of the wall to the other, flying over Abbey's head. The Sargent sharply turned around, and the shiny thing was behind her. Frowning, she leaned towards it, inching closer and closer. All the while, her chair tilted.

Soon enough, the chair and Abbey fell to the ground.

After lying there for a few seconds, she looked up.

The shiny thing disappeared into the wall.

"No!" Abbey yelled.

_ Where did it go? _

And better yet, what was that?

Abbey didn't care, the shiny thing made her feel happy again.

Sighing in content, she pulled herself back onto her feet.

When she turned around, her eyes spotted a dark figure in the room.

At first, she thought it was one of her friends.

Maybe it was Grant, or Malarkey.

It couldn't have been Popeye; he was probably still asleep.

"Is that…". Abbey mumbled, while taking a cautious step forward. "Malark-"

"Abbey".

The voice was too deep.

She stopped walking, suddenly afraid.

"You stupid girl". The voice said, "what were you thinking?"

She wasn't.

That was the problem.

And Abbey managed to convince her friends to drink that green booze as well.

But it felt so good. It made her feel truly happy.

The "magic booze" had some serious consequences it seemed, however.

Was it really worth it?

The figure moved towards her.

Eyes widening, Abbey turned around.

"It's all your fault!" The voice yelled.

She started to run into the kitchen where she then pulled open the backdoor.

Abbey stepped outside into the cool night air.

She looked over her shoulder, the figure was still chasing her.

"It's all your fault!"

"I know!" Abbey yelled back, "I know, it's-"

But then, that shiny thing appeared by the side of her face.

It was flying beside her.

Abbey's eyes moved towards it and she suddenly felt more at ease.

The shiny thing was bright, this beautiful sparkly and bright green light.

It was like a very beautiful fly.

Facing the front again, Abbey continued to sprint with the green fly beside her.

"It's worth it!" She yelled, with a large grin.

Her feet pounded against the ground.

Wind was smashing into her face, causing her eyes to water.

God, it felt real enough to fly.

Abbey managed to run onto the bridge, which crossed high over the Rhine.

_ I can fly. Just like…_

Smiling still, she climbed onto the railings and held onto the metal pole next to her.

She couldn't swim but Abbey was sure she could fly.

"Hey!"

Another voice appeared, an alerted voice.

It didn't belong to the dark figure and it didn't belong to the green fly.

Frowning, Abbey slowly turned to face the voice.

_ Who was ruining this? _

"Don't move!"

She gripped onto the pole tighter.

"Are you sure?!" Abbey asked, "I think I will be okay-"

"Abbey?"

When the voice suddenly realised who it was, he sounded worried sick.

"What are you doing, huh? Come on, let's get you down".

She looked down towards the river again.

"I can't fly?" Abbey mumbled.

"No – so, come on down, huh?"

He was standing behind her.

And very slowly, Abbey lowered herself back onto the ground.

His hands went on her waist, helping her and making sure she didn't suddenly fall into the river. He sighed, relieved that he had decided to check the outposts by the river. God, if he was a moment too late, Abbey would have jumped into the river. But he honestly had no idea why.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Holding her tight.

"Come with me".

…

"…and?"

"No idea, sir…they must have had the same thing".

"What the hell is that stuff?"

"Couldn't tell you, sir. I've never seen it before".

"Right…get rid of it, Lip".

"Yes, sir".

"It's a good thing you found her when you did".

Abbey could hear them, but she couldn't open her eyes.

It hurt too much.

"I'll get doc to take a look at her head".

She frowned a little.

_ My head? _

_ Well, it is sore. _

She had no idea where she was.

Only that what she was lying on, was very comfortable. And next to her, she could hear someone snoring, right into her ear. Abbey lifted her hand, trying to swat the noise away. It was very annoying. But she ended up slapping his face instead. His snoring stopped. Abbey thought she could get back to sleep but his snoring soon picked up again – if not louder than before.

She had no other choice.

Abbey opened her eyes.

Which was a terrible idea. The light wasn't even bright inside this room, but it burned her eyes and caused her head to thump in pain. Abbey placed a hand on her forehead, when the room started to spin. She was still out of it but not drunk anymore. This must have been her worst hangover yet.

The man sleeping next to her was Malarkey.

And his uniform was soaked.

Both of them were inside CP, where Speirs and Lipton kept a close eye on them.

"Oh good, you're awake".

Abbey didn't want to be awake.

Speirs was soon standing by the bed on her side.

"Sargent Malarkey turned up soaking wet. He jumped into the Rhine. And you almost went with him, Sargent. Only, Lipton found you standing on the railings".

He was so calm when talking to her.

And then, he suddenly snapped.

"What the hell were you thinking?!"

She couldn't give him an answer because she couldn't remember a thing.

But it didn't sound like something she would have done.

Abbey gave her head a little shake.

"I can't remember".

Even her voice sounded rough.

He still looked pissed off.

"If it wasn't for Lipton, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now, Sargent".

Abbey's hand moved away from her forehead.

Her stomach was churning, and her body ached.

But the worst part of the hangover weren't physical symptoms.

Abbey felt very low.

She wanted to be happy again.

"What?" Speirs asked flatly.

Abbey gave her head a shake again.

"Nothing, sir". Abbey whispered, "we – eh - we won't drink that again".

"Good". Speirs said, "I'm making sure of it".

Her eyes moved to his.

"What do you mean?" She asked quietly.

"Lipton is getting rid of it".

Her heart dropped.

Because she'd never be that happy again.

Not without the "magic booze".


	61. Chapter 60

"You hear? Nixon got demoted".

"No shit, really?"

"Uh-huh, Battalion S-3".

"Well, he wasn't happy with – ha! Twenty-one you son-of-a-bitch!"

"Goddammit, Tab". Luz muttered.

Abbey sat on a chair, waiting for their current events lecture to start.

Her eyes were dull, drained from all life.

And that happy and warm feeling in her stomach had long gone.

Instead, she felt nothing but cold.

Abbey wanted more of that "magic booze".

That kept her happy.

"The Cooperative for American Remittance to Europe food care has begun assembling food packs to assist those European families in dire need".

Nixon started the lecture, newspaper in his hands.

"Presumably all of them…so, notes to all your family reminding them to donate what ever they can would be much appreciated".

Current events were always a little boring.

Except when they talked about the war.

"I'm sure you'll all be happy to know Oklahoma is still playing on Broadway".

And sure enough, the men started singing.

"Oklahoma when the wind comes sweeping down the plain and the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet, when the-"

Luz cut everyone else off.

"right behind the rain!" Except O'Keefe, he youngest from 1st Platoon.

The men started to laugh.

"O'Keefe, are you sitting on your bayonet?" Christenson joked, "why don't you leave the singing to Luz".

"Yeah, unless you 'wanna do like Surrey With the Fringe on Top, O'Keefe". Luz stated.

Nixon let out a tiny groan, "aw, Rita Hayworth's getting married".

"Oh, Rita say it ain't so". Luz commented, faking disappointment.

Nixon spent a few more minutes flicking through the pages until he found what he was looking for; "Ah, wartime news".

Everyone perked up at that.

"Resistance in Ruhr's crumbling. It looks like there might be a breakout in Remagen. Apparently, the Krauts forgot to blow up one of their bridges when they headed back over the Rhine. I guess the boys in the 17th did okay, after all".

Nixon and three others were the only survivors in his stick when he jumped with the 17th.

"Ah, forget it. We'd be in Berlin by now, sir, if it was us instead of them, huh?" Luz piped in.

That seemed to cheer him up.

And the lecture ended on a lighter note, thanks to George Luz.

Abbey remained sitting on the chair.

Eyes still staring out towards nothing.

It had been a couple of days since the "magic booze" incident and she was still feeling down. Abbey put it into her head that she'd never feel that happy again. Only that drink could make her feel that way.

Someone gave her shoulder a nudge.

"Get up, Abbey". Grant told her.

Sighing, Abbey got up from the chair.

Putting on her cap, she followed the rest back towards the houses.

…

"Sargent Harrison, a word".

It was the afternoon, the lecture had ended a few hours ago.

And Abbey had split her squad up.

Some went to clear out houses, others were on outposts.

But Lieutenant Foley wanted "a word" with her.

Which probably wouldn't be good.

"Sir?" Came her flat response.

Foley cleared his throat, "your boy, Private Janovec…he was caught – uh – he was caught with a German girl".

Abbey nodded slowly.

"Doing what?"

She knew fine well what.

Abbey just wanted to make him uncomfortable.

For her own entertainment.

Foley pursed his lips together.

He looked frustrated and a little embarrassed.

His lips parted with a sigh, "you know what, Sargent Harrison".

Abbey tried to play it dumb.

And she put on a frown.

"Jesus – he was fraternizing with the enemy!" Foley exclaimed.

"Oh…so, they were talking, sir?"

Foley wasn't impressed with her.

"Sort it out, Harrison".

He warned her, before walking off.

Abbey snorted softly.

She turned around and headed back towards the squad's house.

Walking up the stairs, she soon saw Janovec with Eddie Joint.

The pair of them were looking out the window, watching for enemy movement.

"John, stop-"

"Sarge!" Janovec yelled, while he stood up.

Giving him a tight smile, she nodded.

"Yes, hello". She answered, in a flat voice.

Janovec stood at ease.

Abbey cleared her throat, "John-"

"yes, Sarge?"

"Could you do me a favour?"

He nodded, with a serious look.

"Of course, Sarge".

"The next time you have sexual intercourse with a-"

Eddie started to laugh.

Abbey continued, "with a German girl, please, don't do in a place where you will get caught".

Janovec's lips twitched.

"Where then, Sarge?"

"I don't want to know". She mumbled, "never tell me, okay?"

He smiled.

"Promise, Sarge".

Abbey left the house and soon heard another piece of news.

President Roosevelt had died.

There was a slight drop in morale for the men.

But the day continued, and the weather soon changed dramatically.

By the early hours of the evening, it had started to rain.

Abbey was making her way back from one of the outposts by the end of the road.

She had seen to it that her two guys were fine and had everything they needed.

And soon, she was soaked.

Abbey let out a long sigh; _typical. _

Well, at least the weather suited her gloomy mood.

Walking back up the street, Abbey past a few guys from the military police, who were patrolling the area. And she reached the top of the hill and soon saw Captain Nixon. He grabbed a bin of sorts and tossed it right into a shop window. It was very random. Abbey ran over to the shop with the broken window and saw that it was an alcohol store.

Shrugging, she soon stepped in through the window.

And Abbey took her chances, hoping to find her "magic booze".

But she scanned the shelves and couldn't seem to find anything green.

"Shit". Abbey cursed quietly.

But not quietly enough.

Nixon was soon standing beside her, "Abbey?"

Shaking her head, Abbey sighed.

"Not here". She muttered.

The Captain shared the same look of disappointment.

"Same". He mumbled.

Abbey picked up a bottle of something from the shelf.

"What's this one, sir?"

Nixon took the bottle, "a brand of whiskey…not the best but-"

"it'll do, right?"

"Yeah". He said, "should do".

The bottle was soon handed back to her.

And once it was in her hands, Abbey walked back out of the broken shop window and onto the street, Nixon wasn't far behind. Just as they walked a few steps away from the window, the military police arrived on site, while an angry German started to yell from the top window. It was obviously his shop.

Walking up the rest of the hill, Abbey then turned towards her shared house.

The house was quiet.

Malarkey was asleep, Grant was checking in with the Platoon and she had no idea where Popeye was, but it didn't seem to matter. Not for her, anyway. Abbey had her whiskey, that's all she needed at the moment.

Sitting down on the couch, she took out that bottle of whiskey and opened it up.

Abbey stared at it for a moment.

_How did we get here? _

She asked herself.

Licking her bottom lip, she tipped the bottle back and took a drink.

…

It was rough the next morning.

As soon as she woke up, Abbey ran upstairs.

Entering the bathroom, she knelt in front of the toilet and vomited.

The noises echoed throughout the house; she had left the door open. And it had caught Malarkey's attention quickly, who then started to rub her back and move her hair out of the way. Abbey had her fair share of bad hangovers, but this was something else.

The vomiting didn't last long.

But it felt like hours before it finally ended.

Abbey spat into the bowl, before Malarkey flushed the toilet.

He walked over to the sink and poured her a cup of water.

"Take a sip".

"Thanks".

Malarkey sat on the edge of the bathtub, watching her.

"Whiskey?"

Abbey shuddered, with a small nod.

"Tough break, Abbey". He sighed, "might 'wanna slow down, huh?"

She swallowed the water in her mouth.

"I will slow down, when things get kinder". Abbey whispered.

Malarkey frowned.

_ God, what happened to her. _

He thought, with a crushing sense that Abbey was stuck inside a dark and never-ending tunnel.

Abbey took another sip of water.

Putting the cup down, she wrapped her arms around herself.

Malarkey's head titled to the side.

She looked lost.

"You need any help?"

Abbey's eye landed on his.

She felt something lodge into her throat.

And had to swallow it back.

"No". Abbey mumbled, shaking her head. "No – I don't need help".

He figured she'd say that.

Malarkey nodded, "alright, Abbey". He mumbled softly, "well, we're moving out again. Best get the boys ready, huh?"

She really couldn't be bothered.

Not that morning, anyway.

Sighing, Abbey pulled herself onto her feet.

Facing the sink, she turned on the taps and grabbed her toothbrush.

And that was Malarkey's cue to leave.

Abbey looked down at her brush, while she placed a small amount of toothpaste on the bristles.

"Malark". She mumbled.

Stopping, he turned around by the open doorway.

Licking her bottom lip, Abbey then cleared her throat.

"Thanks". She whispered.

His lips twitched up into a sad smile.

"Anytime, Abbey".

After scrubbing her teeth and mouth for a good five or so minutes, Abbey grabbed her things and exited the house. It didn't take her long to assemble 1st squad, they were all practically ready and eager to reach the next place – well, the replacements were mostly eager. Abbey tried to give them some excitement during patrols, but the Germans were quiet and easily held up their hands in surrender. There wasn't much fighting anymore.

"Hey – give me that, Abbey".

She handed Liebgott the bag, who then slid it into the back of the truck.

The rain had stopped, and the sun was shinning down on them, sitting up in a blue sky.

It was a lovely day.

But Abbey hated the sun that morning.

Her head hurt from the hangover still.

"Sargent".

Speirs said, while he walked over to her.

"Follow me".

Abbey looked back over at her squad.

"We'll be fine, Abbey". Heffron assured her, "not got much left to pack-up".

Giving him a nod, she turned around and stepped into a walk beside Speirs.

He reached into his pocket, bringing out a cigarette.

"Captain Nixon saw you". Speirs mumbled, the cigarette going into his mouth.

Abbey remained quiet.

That shouldn't have concerned him too much.

"Looking for something, Sargent?"

She gave her head a shake.

"No, sir". Abbey mumbled, "I got whiskey – it's fine".

Speirs then searched his pockets for a lighter.

"You're spiralling, Sargent". He murmured, "you can't be doing that".

"I'm not-"

"you are".

Sighing, Abbey stopped walking.

Men from Easy walked behind her, heading from one side to another, carrying all their gear and weapons onto the trucks. It was a busy morning. That part of town was swamped with men from 2nd Battalion.

The Captain turned around, when he realised, she wasn't walking anymore.

Clearing his throat, Speirs took a step towards her.

"Quit drinking so much, huh?" He told her.

Abbey's eyes moved down towards the ground.

His voice softened, "you won't find anything down there, Sargent".

Eyes closing, Abbey nodded.

Speirs took a step back.

"Good". He said firmly, "head up and get your boys ready".

"Yes, sir". She whispered.

His lips twitched, "see doc about some aspirin too, huh?"

Snorting softly, Abbey raised her head.

"Okay, sir".


	62. Chapter 61

_Lying on soft grass, a gentle sun shone down. _

_ The green glistened and a breeze blew past, causing the trees to wave and dance. A perfect day didn't exist, something was always there to ruin it. Never expect things to go perfect, unless you like the taste of disappointment. But this was a perfect day. The weather was just right and nothing there wanted to ruin such a day. _

_ "Wake up-"_

_ "so lazy!" _

_ Eyes opening, Abbey leaped onto her feet. _

_ Lucy, Peter and Harold watched their big sister get onto her feet. _

_ She took Lucy's hand, while Harold grabbed her other hand. _

_ The four of them started to walk. _

_ Birds flew over their heads. _

_ Beautifully coloured birds. _

_ Purple, blue and yellow. _

_ And they created such wonderful songs. _

_ The air smelt like vanilla._

_ It was the perfect day. _

_ Lucy and Harold let go of her hand. _

_ They both started to run ahead. _

_ Smiling, Abbey reached down and picked up Peter, who was lagging behind. The little boy wrapped his arms around her neck, while he rested neatly onto her hip. Harold and Lucy were both laughing and yelling gleefully at each other. Peter laughed too and clapped his hands happily. It made Abbey smile, to see her younger siblings this happy. _

_ But she did wonder, what made them so happy. _

_ While Abbey carried Peter towards a cluster of apple trees, Lucy and Harold were sitting underneath one of them, eating a fallen apple each. When she reached them, Abbey carefully set Peter down before she joined the small circle. _

_ "Here, Abbey". Lucy handed her a very red and shinny apple. "They taste good". _

_ She bit into the apple. _

_ It did taste good and it was very sweet and juicy. _

_ Abbey gave it the nod of approval. _

_ Harold chuckled, "you're always quiet, Abbey! Mummy thinks you're shy"._

_"She's right". Abbey told him softly, "but that's okay…people are allowed to be quiet". _

_ "Peter's quiet too". Lucy pointed out, "I think he missed you loads when you left". _

_ Smiling sadly, Abbey kissed the top of Peter's head. _

_ "I'm home now". She told him, "I will never leave you again"._

_ Peter leaned against her side, "don't leave us". He whispered. _

_ She wrapped an arm around him. _

_ And bit into the apple again. _

_ However, this time, the apple was a lot harder. _

_ And she heard a crack in her mouth. _

_ Frowning, Abbey let go of the apple. _

_ Holding out a hand, she watched while a tooth fell out of her mouth and onto her palm. _

_ "Wow". Lucy whispered, "how'd you do that?" _

_ Abbey shook her head. _

_ "No idea". She mumbled. _

_ "Leave that for the tooth fairy". _

_ And Abbey smiled again, "that's a good idea, Lucy". _

_ A moment of silence passed them. _

_ While a light breeze gently crashed into the trees. _

_ "Tell her". Peter urged to Harold and Lucy. _

_ "No". Harold hissed, "it's fine". _

_ Abbey frowned again, "tell me what?" _

_ Lucy rolled her eyes, "Pete's worried". She explained, "he shouldn't be, however. It's a very silly thing". _

_ Rubbing her lips together, Abbey looked down at her younger brother._

_ "Would you like my help?" She asked them softly. _

_ The three siblings shared a look with each other. _

_ And eventually, Harold sighed. _

_ "Stewart's been quiet…he hasn't made a sound". _

…

_ "My parents and Stewart left the house…I don't know where they are". _

…

_ "They left in the middle of the night, packed up and headed for the country". _

…

_ "I let them borrow my brother's car for the journey…he will pick it up in a few weeks". _

…

_ "…they never made it to your relatives". _

…

_ "Abbey?" _

_ Blinking a few times, she got onto her feet. _

_ The weather was still perfect. _

_ The kids were happy. _

_ But something had to ruin it._

_ "Where is he?" She whispered. _

_ "He's lying in the bush, Abbey". Lucy told her, "we couldn't move him…he's too heavy". _

_ Slowly, her head turned towards the bush. _

_ Abbey felt her entire body turn cold. _

_ Taking in a deep breath, she made her way towards the bush. _

_ The leaves were sharp, dark and prickly. _

_ Abbey tried to move them out of the way but felt something slice into her skin. _

_ Pulling her hand back, she looked at her finger. _

_ A small trickle of blood ran from a tiny cut. Abbey wiped her finger against her trousers before she reached for the leaves again and carefully moved them out of the way. It was a long process; the leaves were thick and seemed to go on forever. But she did reach the end. _

_ And there he was. _

…

"…Janovec, what you reading?"

"An article".

"No shit. What's it about?"

"It's about why we're fighting the war".

Abbey opened her eyes.

She saw Luz talking with Janovec across from her.

Luz smirked, "why we fighting the war, Janovec?"

Janovec looked serious, "it seems that the Germans are bad. Very bad".

"You don't say…".

Luz then turned to Perconte.

"Hey, Frank, this guys reading an article over here, says the Germans…are bad".

Abbey sat herself up straighter.

The scenery around them was breath taking.

Golden fields, beautiful grass and dark forests.

But she couldn't see that, she was blinded by grief.

All over again.

Because while she grieved for her parents, Abbey forgot about Stewart.

A few of the guys in the truck erupted with laughter.

It caused Abbey to flinch.

"…wait a minute. Finish school?!"

Liebgott exclaimed.

Abbey flinched again.

Jesus, it was loud.

"You mean all this time you've been talking about Harvard this and Harvard that, and you ain't even finished?"

"For one thing, I haven't told you anything". Webster pointed out. "Yes, yes. I haven't finished. So the fuck what?"

"Alright, Web, breathe a little…Jesus fuck". Liebgott mumbled, "it's just the way you always talked, you know? We all figured…hey, you know what? You're right. So the fuck what".

Getting up onto her feet, Abbey walked towards the end of the truck.

When she reached the end, she grabbed onto the side and jumped down.

Her feet landed on the road and Abbey quickly moved to the side, when the truck behind them, threatened to run her over. It wouldn't have killed her, the trucks were moving at a walking pace for the moment, so the troopers could hop off whenever they needed.

Running a hand down her face, Abbey stood on the side of the road.

Her hands went to the back of her neck, while her head tilted up towards the sky.

Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath threw her nose.

_ God, why? _

Her hands moved away from her neck and her head lowered.

_ "…they never made it to your relatives". _

Abbey's stomach turned.

And she heaved.

The force was so strong, it sent her to her knees.

Her hands landed on the grass, fingers squishing against wet mud from the rain the other night. Abbey groaned quietly, willing herself not to vomit. She clenched her teeth together, while she breathed heavily threw her nose. It all felt too much. She was in this dark hole, with no end. And it felt like every second of the day, it pulled her further into darkness.

_ It's too much. _

Still breathing heavily, Abbey continued to stare at the grass.

Seconds turned into minutes.

But time didn't seem to cause her much concern.

It was like being trapped inside a nightmare.

Her brain started screaming and her body tensed, with no aims to relax.

Sitting up, Abbey placed her hands onto her thighs.

"On your feet". A voice ordered.

Biting down on her bottom lip, Abbey wanted to scream; no!

She didn't want to get up. She wanted to stay on the side of the road.

Just for a little longer.

But Abbey didn't have much of a choice.

Sighing quietly, Abbey pulled herself up.

She continued to stare down at the grass and marvelled the idea of getting back down again. Abbey wanted nothing more than to be left on the side of the road. It's where she felt she belonged.

"Let's go, come on".

His hand went on her shoulder.

Abbey closed her eyes.

The hand felt comforting on her shoulder, it made things feel less dark.

Major Winters must have saw her jump out of that truck.

Turning around, Abbey looked up at him.

It was like a warm light in front of her.

And when he squeezed her shoulder, Abbey felt her face crumble a little.

Winters frowned, "okay?"

She really wasn't but Abbey didn't have the strength to explain why it wasn't okay.

So, she nodded.

"I did not feel well, sir".

Lying was sometimes better than facing a horrible truth.

She lost Stewart as well.

…

The officers took care of their men that night.

They stopped off in a random town and cleared out an entire apartment block for Easy to spend the night in – just for one night but the residents were both frightened at the sudden intrusion and angry that they had to give up their home for the night.

Not like the men and Abbey cared much.

They were sick and tired of sleeping outdoors.

So, Abbey split her squad up into two.

They took two bedrooms from one apartment with Popeye's squad.

"Get some sleep". She told one half of the squad, "I'll see you all in the morning".

Just as she was about to leave, Janovec called her back.

"Are you okay, Sarge?"

Abbey turned to face him.

Webster and Liebgott looked at her curiously.

"Yes. I am fine". She told him, "I was simply unwell earlier on".

"Alright, Sarge". Janovec was happy enough with that answer, "feel better soon, Sarge".

Her eyes softened.

"That's very nice, John". Abbey mumbled.

Biting down on her bottom lip, she turned away from the men and left the bedroom.

Closing the door, Abbey let out a shaky sigh.

She left house and walked down a flight of stairs.

Abbey could hear her roommates for that night laughing.

They were playing a game of cards.

She didn't want to go in there and ruin the mood. Abbey decided to leave the apartment building and check in with the outposts, to see who was on duty for the first two hours.

The night was still, quiet and warm. There was no wind, the night sky was clear and full of bright stars and a half moon.

_ A perfect night;_ some might say.

She walked alongside a fence, with cows inside.

It had been a long time since she last saw live cows out in a warzone.

Passing the fence, Abbey ended up outside of a farmhouse.

She pressed her ear up against the door and couldn't hear any movement.

But, just to be safe, Abbey got her rifle at the ready.

Pulling down the handle, she opened the front door and stepped inside.

It was dark. But she could make out the shapes of furniture and pictures hanging on the wall. Colourless pictures, without the light but Abbey was sure they'd be full of nature colours.

She began walking down the dark entrance and ended up turning left, which led her into a kitchen.

Getting sick of being in the dark, Abbey brought out her flashlight.

Turning it on, she proceeded further into the kitchen.

Her boots creaked against the wooden flooring.

But besides from that, it was very quiet.

Which was why, Abbey could hear another noise very clearly.

It was like a shuffle.

Almost like someone had shifted.

But the noise came from under her feet.

Now, Abbey was on the hunt for a door, which would lead into a basement. There wasn't a visible door. Which annoyed her for a few minutes, while she hunted everywhere on the ground floor for a door. And when she came back into the kitchen, Abbey almost tripped over a rug.

Curiously, she kicked the rug.

And it revealed a handle.

Getting down onto her knees, she removed the rug completely.

There was a door.

It was flat on the ground, hidden under an old and moth-eaten rug.

Her adrenaline started to pump through her body.

And her training kicked in, for the first time in months.

Grabbing the handle, she got onto her feet and pulled the flat door up.

The door crashed onto the ground.

Well, if the enemy was down there, they would have started shooting by now. Which made Abbey believe that it could have been something else. Shouldering her rifle, Abbey shone the light down and found the set of stairs, which would take her into the basement.

Like the flooring, her boots creaked against the stairs.

And she could see dust and chalk fall from the ceiling, with every step.

But what got her next was this terrible smell.

It almost made her sick.

Abbey choked and coughed.

_ What was that? _

It made her eyes water and Abbey had to clench her jaw, to stop herself from vomiting. She almost turned back, thinking nothing was worth smelling that awful stench but that all changed, when she reached the bottom of the stairs.

Huddled in the corner of the basement were two kids.

And in the other corner of the room, was their dead parents.

The two children were skinny, filthy and sickly looking.

Abbey figured they must have been hiding down there for months. And God knows how they survived that long with no food and with only a limited supply of water. Quickly, she walked over to them and knelt beside the two children. Abbey first handed them her canteen. She unscrewed the cap first and gave it to the girl, who then handed it to her brother – who was younger.

She watched the little boy take a few greedy sips, before handing it back to his big sister.

While they shared out the water, Abbey got up and walked over to the two parents.

There were no bullet wounds.

Nothing.

To Abbey, it was a mystery how they might have died.

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her blanket and covered the parents up. And when she turned back around, the two children were standing up, hand in hand.

Abbey had an idea already formed in her head on what to do next, but she couldn't speak any German. Though, she knew someone who could.

Slowly, Abbey approached the children.

Giving them her best assuring smile, she held out her hand to the sister.

Abbey gave her a little nod.

And soon, the girl's hand was placed into Abbey's.

The little boy was tired, and Abbey ended up picking him up.

Much like she did for Peter in her dream.

Abbey still had a hold of the girl's hand and she led them out of the farmhouse and into the fresh air. The two kids hadn't been outside for a long time and they couldn't stop looking up at the stars. Abbey followed their gaze for a moment.

"Very bright". She commented softly.

"B-r-i-g-h-t". The girl repeated.

Looking down at her, Abbey's lips twitched.

She nodded, "ja".

Soon, they were standing outside of another house.

Letting go of the girl's hand, Abbey knocked on the door.

The girl grabbed onto Abbey's jacket and pressed up against her side.

Frowning, Abbey put her hand on the girl's shoulder.

The door opened and Speirs appeared.

He didn't say anything.

The man took in the situation and nodded.

"Bring them in – I'll get a translator and a German".

…

Abbey sat down, with the children on either side of her.

Liebgott was their translator and he had found a German couple, who lived in town. The two children were glued to Abbey's side, they didn't want to let go of her. Even though the German couple assured them, that they'd look after them both properly.

Abbey knew that the little brother would do whatever his big sister did.

So, she got up from the crouch and knelt in front of the little girl.

The girl looked terrified.

With large eyes, filled with tears.

Abbey took one of her hands into hers.

"I know you can be brave". She told her softly.

And then cleared her throat, giving Liebgott a nod.

He translated for her.

The little girl gave her head a shake, a tear rolling down her face.

Abbey's face softened.

"You are the bravest person I have ever met".

She waited a few moments, until Liebgott finished translating.

The girl sniffed.

"It's going to be okay, you can do this".

Abbey waited.

The little girl let out a tearful sigh.

"My friend gave me this flower because he thought I was brave".

Frowning, Liebgott translated for her again.

_What was she going to do?_ He thought.

And Abbey reached into her front pocket, showing her the flower.

"You know what this is?"

After he translated, the girl nodded.

Smiling small, Abbey placed it into the girl's hand.

"Turns out, you are the bravest person I have ever met".

And soon, the girl wrapped her arms around Abbey's neck.

Slowly, one hand went to the girls back.

Abbey bit down on her lip, eyes looking up and meeting Speirs's stare.

Which wasn't intimidating or cold.

It was soft and kind.

Pulling back from the hug, Abbey placed her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Keep that safe". She said to her softly, "I trust you with that".

Abbey couldn't believe how that night turned out.

The German couple took the two children with them.

They had no idea why they had been hiding out in a basement.

But Abbey never asked – they were kids, they deserved a happy life and a nice home.

And to think.

Abbey only wanted to break into that farmhouse to find some "magic booze".


	63. Chapter 62

"Where?"

Gripping the handle, Abbey pulled the flat door up.

"Down there".

She and two others had the task of moving the two bodies out from the basement.

Once back down in the basement, Abbey shone her light towards them.

And the two men sighed heavily.

"You ready for this?"

The other guy looked pale.

"Yup". He croaked.

It wasn't the nicest smell down in the basement.

The bodies were a few weeks old.

And the two replacements moving them, must have had a strong stomach.

Abbey took a step back, giving the two of them more room.

Her foot knocked against a box.

And the box made a familiar sound.

Turning around, Abbey shone the light down towards the box.

She couldn't believe it.

Reaching down, Abbey picked up a glass bottle.

Inside, was green liquid.

Unscrewing the cap, she took a sniff.

Her eyes widened;

_ "the magic booze". _

…

After an eventful night, they were back on the road the next day.

The men mounted onto the back of the trucks and jeeps.

They sang a few songs for the first ten or so minutes and then dived into their own conversations. Abbey found that the majority of the men spoke about home. The war was ending, they might just make it out alive.

But Abbey would always remember Speirs talk of the war in the Pacific.

That was still going on.

When the war ended in Europe, they'd probably make another jump.

Into another part of the war.

But she couldn't tell her friends that. They were so excited about the possibility of making it out alive and going back home. Back to friends, family and loved ones. Back to working a normal job, going to college and marrying their sweethearts.

Back to normality.

_ How was that even possible? _

Abbey couldn't imagine it.

She couldn't imagine a life that didn't include combat.

The journey moved onto one of Hitler's new autobahns. A four-way motorway. And, standing in the middle of the road and heading in the opposite direction were three hundred thousand retreating Germans. They didn't walk, they marched. And you had to admire that. Even in defeat, they still marched with straight spines, with their heads held up. They could hear their boots marching against the concrete, while their horses pulled carts.

Abbey was riding with Grant, Malarkey, Talbert, Martin, Lipton and Speirs.

In the truck next to theirs, she could see Webster's head.

And riding behind them, were Winters and Nixon.

She was standing up, by the back of the truck and watched the retreating Germans.

"Hey, you!"

Frowning a little, her eyes moved away from the Germans.

"Hey, you!"

And they wondered over to Webster.

He was standing up now, yelling at the German officers, who were riding in the horse carts.

"That's right, you stupid Kraut bastards!" He yelled, "that's right! Say hello to Ford! And general fucking motors!"

Abbey's lips twitched at that.

Webster did have a point.

They had vehicles, the Germans were riding around in horse and carts.

"You stupid fascist pigs – look at you! You have horses! What were you thinking?!"

Someone pulled Webster down, probably giving him a slight telling off.

Abbey wanted him to continue.

She would have yelled too.

But Webster wasn't done.

"You ignorant, servile scum! What the fuck are we doing here?!"

But it was the way he delivered it.

With so much raw anger and frustration.

Webster wasn't the only man in the Company feeling that.

_ What are we doing here? _

Frowning a little, Abbey watched Webster slowly lower himself back onto the bench.

It was quiet again.

And the vehicles continued to pass the Germans.

Abbey eventually sat down, once she grew tired of standing.

"He alright?" Speirs asked, referring to Webster.

Though, the Captain was more interested in writing a letter back to his wife.

"Yes, sir". Abbey mumbled.

"Some outburst, huh?" Grant commented.

Leaning back against the side of the truck, Abbey tilted her head towards the sky.

She took off her helmet and placed it on her lap, before staring up towards the sky again.

"You know what that was all about, Abbey?" Malarkey asked her curiously.

And she shook her head.

Abbey didn't have a clue.

But if she had to take a guess;

"probably just tired, Malark".

Tired meant so many things out in combat.

Webster was tired of still being stuck in the war.

And that answer seemed to satisfy their curiosity regarding Webster.

…

They arrived in Landsberg.

A small and quant little town.

Unlike other German towns, the locals stayed inside their houses. That was the first thing Abbey noticed, when she jumped down from the truck – the locals quickly shut their doors and windows. She found that to be odd, if not a little concerning.

"Catch, Abbey!"

Soon, a bag came flying over towards her.

Abbey had around two seconds to get herself ready to catch it.

And she did, which Grant was very glad of.

"Thanks, Abbey". He said, "that has all our booze".

Snorting softly, she gently put it down on the side of the road.

Speirs got down from the truck next, cigarette already lit.

"I'll go see the Major". He said, "Talbert, with me".

"Yes, sir".

Abbey wiped the sweat from the back of her neck.

She then grabbed another bag and set it down beside the "booze bag".

"Chuck, what booze is in there?" Malarkey asked him.

"The usual". Grant responded, "whiskey, schnapps…cognac".

"Planning on opening something tonight?"

He grinned, "you bet, Malark – how about it, huh? Four of us again".

Malarkey shrugged, "alright – Abbey, you in?"

Biting her lip, Abbey walked over to the pair of them.

"Yes, okay". She mumbled.

"Great – I'll tell Pop". Grant said, "'gonna be a good night, guys".

Abbey looked around the town again.

She didn't think it would be an exciting night.

It was far too quiet here.

…

Patrols were soon sent out.

Easy were scouting out the northwest of Landsberg.

1st and 2nd were in the woods, split up in their squads.

Fox were in the woods also, but on the other side.

And the woods were quiet. With tall trees which blocked the sky, preventing any light from shinning down on them. The ground was dry, and their boots snapped twigs in half, with every step. There was a slight breeze, it caused the branches to creak but nothing alarming. Abbey didn't feel threatened in this forest, anyway. But Janovec still had his eyes wide open. He was the lead scout; Abbey was keeping a close eye on him.

Webster found it pretty amusing.

"Why'd you put him in lead?"

"Would you like to be picked?" Abbey asked him quietly.

Huffing out a little laugh, he shook his head.

"No…he just looks excited, that's all".

Abbey was quiet for a few moments.

"Good". She responded, "he could use some excitement after all that training, Web".

"True". Webster agreed, "I see your point, Sarge-"

"Abbey". She said, clearing her throat after. "You are not a replacement, Web".

He smiled small and faced the front again.

Abbey shrugged, "I don't think John Janovec will ever call me anything but Sarge".

"Or yell". Webster teased.

That made her smile a little, "yes. He is quite the character – a very good nut".

Abbey then looked over at Webster.

And her features softened.

"You are another nutty person, Web".

He frowned and looked back at her.

"Shouting at three hundred thousand Germans". Abbey mumbled, "well…I am very happy to have you in our squad". She turned to face the front again.

Janovec was nothing but focused.

"Not even Speirs could have done that". She added softly.

And Webster smiled.

He had felt a little uncomfortable about doing what he did.

But it was nice to know that Abbey was on his side.

"Thanks". He said quietly.

And Abbey was about to respond, when Janovec suddenly stopped.

Frowning, she stuck her hand up and halted the rest of the squad.

Slowly, she walked over to him.

Abbey couldn't see anything that would harm them.

But maybe that was the issue – it was very quiet.

"Sarge".

And Janovec wasn't shouting, he was whispering.

That surprised Abbey.

She looked at him, "everything okay, John? Are you okay?"

Janovec gave her a little nod.

"Do you hear that, Sarge?"

She turned around and signalled for Heffron and Liebgott.

They reached her side in a matter of seconds.

"What's going on, Abbey?" Liebgott asked her quietly, "did Jan see anything?"

"No". She said, "but the birds have stopped singing".

Heffron pulled a face, "you're worried about the lack of birds, Abbey?"

Rubbing her lips together, Abbey gave him a nod.

It did sound silly.

But they had all heard birds before, when they entered the forest.

And as they got deeper, the birds disappeared.

Janovec was right to feel a little tense.

"Okay, spread it out". She told them quietly, "Lieb, get everyone into position".

"Alright, Abbey – come on, Heff".

Abbey gave Janovec a little tap on the arm.

"Okay, John, carry on. You're doing a good job".

With that said and done, they ventured further into the woods.

Only this time, they felt more on edge.

The deeper they got; the stranger things came to be.

For one, a very strange smell hit Abbey's senses.

It smelt like someone was cooking meat.

She started to dislike this forest.

Now, it started to give her a bad feeling.

The forest felt darker. And with the birds not flying above them, it was obvious they were about to walk into something they never expected to see. Because of that reason, Abbey stopped the squad again and moved to stand next to Janovec.

"I'll lead". She told him, "I have a strange feeling about this place".

Abbey was only trying to protect him.

And he agreed.

"Okay, Sarge". Janovec said quietly, before taking a few steps back.

The squad continued to push further into the forest.

Up ahead, Abbey could see a path.

Meaning, their forest was about to end.

Holding up her hand again, she then clenched it into a fist.

The men behind her got down.

Taking in a deep breath, Abbey quietly approached the end of the forest. It was still very silent but the smell of burning meat got stronger. But the smell was followed by something else, a very nauseating stench that caused her eyes to water and her stomach to churn. She coughed a few times, willing herself not to get sick. Abbey clenched her jaw and through her blurry eyes, she could see a very tall fence.

Her stomach turned again – the smell was getting stronger.

Abbey reached the end of the tree line.

And she stilled.

The rifle in her hands dropped to the ground.

And her lips parted in shock.

Her hands went to the back of her neck, while she tried to wrap her head around what she was seeing. Words couldn't describe it. The horror was just too much to put into words. The first thing her eyes landed on was the fence and tangled up in the barbed wire was a body. The body of a man, who looked starved to death. And then, her eyes moved towards a locked gate.

More men approached the gate.

They were walking skeletons.

Each one of them wore similar clothing.

A striped uniform.

And they all wore a cap on their heads – their shaven heads.

The men staggered, stumbled and some fell to the ground and never got back up. They looked close to dying, their bodies were starved, which made their heads look large on their skinny necks. But those were the men who could walk. For those who were no longer alive, they were left lying on the ground – hundreds of bodies.

Abbey had never seen anything like that.

And while she took all of this in, the rest of the squad followed after her.

When the men reached her side, they didn't know what to say.

It was all very quiet.

While 1st squad looked at these men, the men locked inside looked back at them.

A mixture of fear, angst and relief shone in their eyes.

And before anyone could say anything, Christenson and his guys appeared beside them.

It didn't take long for Perconte to turn around and run back into town to grab everyone.

While the others just stood there, trying to work out what was going on.

Taking off her helmet, Abbey tucked it under her arm before moving towards the gate. Sure enough, the men inside were padlocked in. Putting her helmet down, Abbey grabbed the padlock. She gave it a few yanks and it only rattled in response.

She felt something touch her fingers.

Abbey slowly looked up.

But the man's eyes quickly looked away from her.

The men looked so broken. As if they had been tortured for years. It reminded Abbey of a boy at her school, who'd come in with new bruises every day but still ran into his parents' arms when the day ended. Her heart squeezed. She wanted to find the people responsible for this.

Biting down on her lip, Abbey turned around to look at the two squads.

Bull was crouched down, hand over his mouth.

He looked very pale.

It must have been the smell, it almost caused Abbey to vomit the first time too.

She felt her eyes burn.

Swallowing thickly, Abbey looked up towards the sky.

Hoping the rest would arrive soon.


	64. Chapter 63

It was a camp.

A sort of labour camp. Where the men were forced to work under horrible conditions, living off little to no food and water every day. It explained why the men were so skinny and sick. They didn't have proper medical care; they didn't have good plumbing and they couldn't wash their bodies or clothes properly. But what struck everyone the most was the reason.

These men were normal.

They hadn't committed any crime. They had normal jobs, lived a normal life. But they were stuck in there because they were of a different race, political opinion or religion. Most of the men were Jewish. That's why they were locked up, Hitler and his army wanted to exterminate all the Jews. Male, female, old, children – all of them.

They were stripped from their freedom.

They had every last bit of themselves taken away.

Including their hair.

Easy's job was to give them care.

Once they entered the camp, Lipton got everyone caring for these men.

They gave them blankets, rations and water.

They helped carry the sick back to their medics.

And they discovered more horrific sights while they delved deeper into the camp.

Like a truck full of bodies, lying on top of one another and packed up like sardines. As if the camp Commandants were trying to cover all of this up. As if the allies wouldn't see the many ditches, filled with bodies, or the barracks packed with disease ridden men.

Abbey just sort of went with it.

She couldn't stop, she just had to keep going.

Eddie Joint was crying, Heffron was crying.

Guys were gagging, trying not to get sick.

And the men who were suffering, finally broke down.

As if they had just stopped feeling for so long, afraid if they did feel something, it would end them. But they were being liberated and they could feel everything. All they could was assure them, comfort them and help as much as they could.

Abbey had one prisoners' arm around her shoulder.

He was very sick.

And the man was groaning and whimpering with every step.

All these men were sick, they were too sick to leave on a forced march.

That's why the commandants burnt down some of the huts, with the men still inside. And when someone in town tipped the commandants off that the Americans were coming, they took all the healthy prisoners and left. And they tried to kill as many sick prisoners as they could but ran out of time.

The man she was helping groaned again.

His knees gave way.

Abbey stumbled at the sudden weight.

"No – it's okay". She mumbled.

Soon, the man pulled her down with him.

He was stretched out across her lap.

"Come on". She muttered.

Abbey lightly slapped his cheek.

"Wake up – come on…".

But his head rolled to the side and his eyes closed.

Clenching her jaw, Abbey breathed hard out of her nose.

She stared at him in silence for a few moments.

"Fuck". Abbey hissed.

Another pause of silence went by.

"Jesus fucking-"

"over here, Abbey!"

Very carefully, she placed the man down onto the ground and got up.

Abbey reached Webster, Janovec and Liebgott.

And the four of them helped clear out a hut, where many sick men were inside, close to dying.

It was a hard job.

Not so much physically but mentally, this would haunt them one day.

They got the men alive down by their medics and then pulled out the dead bodies inside.

Janovec had reached a tiny breaking point.

He let out this choked sound, before a shaky hand went to cover his eyes.

Frowning, Webster placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Jan, why don't we help with the medics, huh?"

"No". Abbey mumbled, shaking her head.

Liebgott pulled a face and looked at her.

"No". She repeated, "we need to clear this hut out".

Her friends might have thought her as heartless.

"We must help them now". Abbey whispered, "and later, we do what we have to do".

But they could see her point.

Webster gave Janovec's shoulder a squeeze.

"Come on, buddy". He said, "let's help these men".

Abbey and the squad moved from one hut to the next.

They pulled the bodies out from a train cart.

They helped dig up more ditches, where they then discovered more bodies lying underneath the earth. Abbey pulled a lot of bodies out from under the ground. But she couldn't stop and think about what she was doing. It would drive her mad.

"Sargent".

Speirs soon walked over to her.

Abbey climbed out from the ditch and wiped her hands against her trousers.

"Uh…". He seemed a little lost for words. And his eyes stared down at the ditch.

"Sir?" Abbey mumbled.

"Get me – Liebgott and Webster". He told her, "we're putting a squad together, to get back into town. We need more food and water for the men".

She nodded, "yes, sir".

…

It was utter chaos.

Easy were trying to hand out all the food to the prisoners.

Abbey was getting pushed from one side to the other, while she handed out bread to as many prisoners as she could. More times than not, a man would just snatch the bread out of her hands and she never once complained. Abbey just went back and grabbed more food.

But there was no telling these men to calm down and that they had plenty to go around.

They were starved and they wanted to live.

"Abbey, Liebgott!"

The sound of Winters voice caught her attention straight away.

Abbey and Liebgott both made their way towards the Major, who was standing with Nixon and Speirs. Soon, the pair of them were standing with the three officers. And Abbey didn't like the serious look on Winters face. This was going to be bad; she could already tell.

"We need to keep the prisoners inside the camp". Winters told them both lowly, "and we have to stop giving them food".

Biting down on her lip, Abbey looked down at her hands.

"Doctor Kent needs to keep an eye on the men, make sure they have the right medicine and food intake. So, until we can find them a safe place…we have to keep the men contained in this camp".

She crossed her arms and continued to look down.

Winters then sighed, "Liebgott…I need you to tell the prisoners".

Abbey's eyes looked up towards her friend.

"I can't do that, sir". He whispered.

"You got to, Joe". Winters said to him softly.

She gave her head a shake, "tell me what to say, and I will tell them for you".

The officers looked at Abbey.

Liebgott shook his head, "no, Abbey". He said quietly, "no – I'll do it".

As he was about to walk off, Abbey grabbed his hand.

She pulled him back to face her.

"Lieb-"

"it's fine, Abbey". He promised her.

But she knew it wasn't.

And Liebgott took his hand out of hers, before walking back over to the truck.

Abbey's shoulders dropped, while she watched her friend climb onto the truck.

"Achtung, bitte! Achtung, bitte!" Liebgott called, trying to get their attention.

The men quietened down, just a little.

And then, Liebgott tried his best to explain what was about to happen.

Abbey heard the prisoners groan and sob in distress.

They were being locked back up.

And then, she saw Liebgott dropped onto the bench, head in his hands.

Abbey didn't want to believe it.

But he was.

He was crying.

Biting her bottom lip, Abbey looked down at her boots.

She felt her eyes sting with unleashed tears.

Taking in a few deep breaths, she raised her head and headed towards the truck.

Climbing onto the back, Abbey was soon sitting down beside Liebgott.

She sat there, while her friend tried to compose himself.

After a few moments of silence, Liebgott wrapped his arm around her.

She leaned into his side, head resting on his shoulder.

A few more tears slid down his face, he quickly wiped them away.

Liebgott sniffed.

"It's fine, Abbey".

But it wasn't.

Only, Abbey didn't tell him that.

…

Back in town, the men were quiet.

Malarkey, Grant, Popeye and Abbey sat around in the living room, drinking.

They didn't know what else to do and they certainly didn't want to talk about it.

So, they got drunk instead.

It started off with schnapps, before they moved onto harder stuff.

Whiskey and cognac.

For the most part, they talked about home and tried to distract themselves from what they had witnessed that day. But it was hard. For whenever Abbey blinked, she could see their terrified and pale faces. She could see bodies, pilled up in carts and ditches. And she could still smell the stench of burning flesh and sickness.

The night came to a close when her friends went to bed.

Abbey got up, grabbed a bottle of whiskey and headed outside.

She didn't really know where she was going but ended up outside a church.

It was open and Abbey stepped inside.

When the door closed, the thump echoed throughout.

Drinking the last of the whiskey, she put the bottle down and headed up the long and spiral stairs. It took her all the way to the very top, where the bell was. But Abbey wanted to go higher. She climbed up on the ledge and pulled herself onto the roof, where she could see the entire town below her. And from the top, Abbey could make out the tall fence from the camp.

Why could she see the camp and they couldn't?

They must have known it was here.

They had to have known.

The whole of Europe must have known.

So, why didn't she?

Abbey couldn't clean up one shitstorm after another.

Nelson was wrong.

She couldn't make the world perfect.

She was small, tiny compared to everyone else.

She was tiny compared to the world's problems.

And Abbey couldn't make things better.

That guilt, that was on her.

But she wasn't important enough to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. No one was. So, why should she feel bad for not noticing things before it was too late? Why should she feel guilty for losing her family and friends? Why did she have to find true happiness in "magic booze"? Why couldn't she just be happy?

Shit things happen to people every day.

Abbey just didn't know how to handle it.

But sitting on the top of a church roof, it gave her an option.

She could just-

"Sargent-"

"Abbey!"

Abbey looked down.

It was Speirs and Winters.

The Major saw her climb up that room from his bedroom window.

He ran and grabbed Speirs as soon as he saw her.

They were both worried.

And it had been that same worry, when Abbey found Toye on the roof.

But he wasn't there to pull her back.

"Sargent, get down!" Speirs ordered.

Blinking, Abbey looked away from him.

And she shook her head.

"No".

"What-"

"I said, no!" She yelled.

And her voice could have echoed on for miles.

"It's fucking bad down there!"

Abbey's voice broke.

Tears filled her eyes.

"It's so…messy".

Her knees pulled up towards her chest.

She wrapped her arms around her legs.

Abbey let out a shaky sigh.

"Trooper". Came Winters voice, "come down, huh?"

She closed her eyes.

"Why didn't we know?!" She asked loudly, "why didn't – they didn't tell us about those camps!"

The officers went quiet.

"No". Winters said, "no – they didn't tell us".

Letting go of her legs, her hands hovered over her face.

A few curious heads looked through their windows.

Abbey didn't see them; she didn't care what they thought of her.

She was too far gone to stop.

"You all did a good thing today". Winters went on, "I'm very proud of you all".

"I don't feel…proud".

Abbey's voice was brittle, close to tears.

She shook her head, "I feel horrible".

The Major felt his heart tug.

"It's okay, Abbey". He assured her, "you're allowed to feel horrible".

Shaking her head again, Abbey let out a tiny sob.

"No". She croaked, voice shaking, "I – I don't want comfort".

Abbey sniffed, though, more tears kept coming.

"I don't deserve it".

And she sobbed again.

Winters felt his own eyes tear up, "you deserve it, trooper".

Abbey didn't hear Speirs.

He had entered the church, ran up the stairs and was now on the roof.

Very carefully, Speirs took hold of her arm.

"You're coming down". He said to her quietly, "you're coming down, Sargent".

Abbey let out another sob.

"I-I'm scared".

Speirs frowned, "of what?"

She shook her head, "it's so…fucked up down there".

"Okay". He murmured softly, "then I'll stay with you down there".

Speirs's hold tightened on her arm.

"So, we should go down now".

Abbey sniffed again.

Her hands lowered from her face and she looked at Speirs.

And he felt a heavy sense of sadness crash into his chest when he looked back at her.

"Let's go, Abbey".

Abbey felt more tears roll down her cheeks.

He called her Abbey.

He usually called her Sargent.

Bottom lip quivering, she let out another small sob.

Speirs took her hand.

And together, they climbed down from the roof and back to where the bell was.

Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, they walked down the stairs and soon, both were out of the church. Winters walked over to meet them. He was relieved that Abbey was back on the ground but still concerned all the same.

Abbey was still crying quietly.

"Come on". Speirs said, "let's go to CP".


	65. Chapter 64

Her eyes opened the next morning.

She could hear voices out in the hallway.

It sounded like Winters and Nixon.

Sighing, Abby rolled onto her side.

Last night hadn't ended well. She got too drunk and ended up crying. Much to her embarrassment, she cried in front of Speirs and Winters. But though she might have been drunk, it was all true that she had admitted. And those feelings, they had been kept hidden for months. It was only a matter of time before they came to the surface.

Pulling back the blanket, she looked at her watch.

It was almost seven in the morning, no wonder she felt rough.

Abbey didn't have a very forgiving hangover.

Groaning quietly, she rolled onto her back.

One hand went across her stomach, which felt upset and sick.

"You can go back to sleep".

She wasn't expecting someone to be in the room with her.

Abbey turned her head to the side.

Speirs was lying on a couch, eyes still closed.

"We're moving out at noon". He said to her.

"…I'm going, Dick".

They both heard Nixon say, from outside the room.

"I have to see if the locals are 'gonna do this right".

"Nix". Winters said with a sigh, "its martial law that the locals bury all the bodies in the camp".

"Yeah? Well, I just 'gotta make sure".

_ The camp. _

It took a few seconds for her head to remember it all.

A hand went over her eyes.

Abbey took in a shuddering breath.

The sickening feeling grew worse.

And she felt a lump lodge inside her throat.

When she exhaled, a tiny cry followed.

Speirs opened his eyes.

His head turned to face her.

And he sighed, "come on…you don't have to do that".

"Why not, sir?" Abbey whimpered, "the whole world should be crying".

With a tiny grunt, Speirs got up from the couch.

She was sniffling on the bed still, while tears rolled down her cheeks.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Speirs looked at her again.

"That's true". The Captain commented, "suppose you've earned the right to cry".

Abbey couldn't hear that last part.

Her fingers wiped the tears from her face.

And slowly, she sat up.

Abbey then wiped her nose with her sleeve.

Speirs pulled a slightly disgusted face.

Though, still had a soft and kind look about him.

"Ever heard of a tissue, Sargent?"

"The army did not provide me with one, sir". Abbey mumbled.

And he smirked a little.

Reaching into his pocket, Speirs pulled out a tissue.

"Well then, have mine".

She took the tissue and blew her nose.

The Captain smiled, though sadly, at her.

Abbey sniffed again and cleared her throat.

"Would you like it back, sir?"

He almost chuckled.

"No, you can keep that, Abbey".

Rubbing her lips together, her eyes looked down at the blanket.

Sniffing again, she pulled it up a little.

And contemplated going back to sleep.

She felt exhausted and sick from the booze.

But Abbey had to check in with the squad and see how they were doing. She was especially worried about Janovec and Eddie. Running a hand down her face, Abbey let out a tiny sigh, before she put the tissue into her pocket and pulled the blanket off her body. Swinging her legs around, she got down from the bed and grabbed her helmet and rifle.

"Good". Speirs was happy to see her up and about, "get your squad ready, Sargent".

"Yes, sir".

…

When Abbey entered the house, Grant was there to greet her.

He gave her a tired sigh, "where the hell did you end up?"

"I spent the night elsewhere". She replied, "it's fine, Chuck".

Abbey didn't mention her incident on the church.

And she didn't mention spending the night in CP.

She didn't want to worry her friends.

So, Abbey pretended that everything was fine. And she went about the morning making sure everything was packed up and ready for departure. No one knew which town they were headed to next, but she hoped it wasn't anything like Landsberg. Abbey hated this town. And she hated the locals more. It was hard not to glare at them, while they walked in a line towards the camp.

Guarnere would have said something.

He would have yelled how disgusting they were.

But everyone remained quiet and tried to ignore them.

Webster was standing beside her.

He handed her a bag, she grabbed it and set it down on the truck.

And her eyes landed on the locals again.

Licking her bottom lip, Abbey looked down at Webster, who was grabbing the next bag. Clearing her throat, she climbed onto the back of the truck and stood up on the bench.

When Webster went to hand her the bag, he frowned.

_ Where did she go? _

"Hey, you!"

Eyes widening, Webster looked up.

Abbey continued to yell, "hey, you!"

A few heads turned.

Which suited her perfectly.

"You fascist pricks!" She yelled, "you're all a bunch of arrogant fucks!"

Her voice reached them.

But they didn't respond.

And the whole town went quiet after.

Eyes lightening up, Abbey looked over at Webster, who was smiling.

Abbey jumped down from the bench and packing up resumed.

Guarnere would have been proud of that one; Abbey was sure of it.

And soon, everything was ready and 2nd Battalion moved out.

It was good to see the back of Landsberg.

Though, no one was likely to ever forget what they had discovered.

For the whole journey, Abbey relaxed and closed her eyes.

…

"We're here - let's go".

The town was destroyed.

Houses and buildings were all torn down, and all their furniture and possessions created this huge mountain in the town square. But what caught Abbey's attention was a string quartet, who were playing Beethoven.

When they all got off the truck, they went around trying to find a place to sleep.

Most of the houses were destroyed but 2nd Platoon found a large house around the back of town to sleep in for that night. Abbey got the squad to unpack and make beds out of straw from the barn. After, she collected all their canteens and went around back to the water pump, filling them all up.

It was an easy job.

And peaceful.

Abbey could hear the guys inside the farmhouse, talking and laughing.

She screwed on one of the caps and set aside the full canteen.

Abbey picked up the other and held it under the tap.

** Bang! **

The canteen dropped from her hand.

One shot was fired.

And it sounded extremely loud.

Abbey quickly turned to face the farmhouse.

** Bang! **

Then came another shot.

Abbey ran.

She pushed the door open and walked inside the kitchen.

There, stood two replacements.

Both of them were drunk and shooting a Nazi flag.

They were from 3rd squad.

Not that it mattered, Abbey was still pissed off.

Before one of them could pull the trigger again, she grabbed his wrists and squeezed tightly, forcing him to drop the gun. He let out a yelp, the pistol fell onto the ground with a thump. And the guy next quickly put his gun back into his pocket.

Which was a bad idea.

** Bang! **

It went off, the guy fell to the ground.

"For God's sake!" Abbey hissed.

Letting go of his wrist, she got down next to the fallen guy.

Bringing out her knife, she cut away his trousers and exposed the gun shot wound.

Luckily for him, it didn't hit his main artery.

Abbey's head snapped up.

She gave the other guy a hard stare, "get a medic – now!"

And he quickly scurried off.

"Idiots". Abbey whispered, shaking her head. "What were you both thinking? Do not shoot your guns in the house. And don't put a loaded weapon in your trousers – for fuck sake!"

The guy continued to moan and squirm on the ground.

She shook her head, "I do not understand. The war is ending. Stop fighting".

"We weren't!" He said, between clenched teeth.

Abbey looked back at him, "don't be an idiot with your weapon then. What did you hope to achieve by shooting a Nazi flag? It does not hurt anyone".

Roe and the other drunk trooper came rushing into the kitchen.

Moving to the side, Abbey cleared a space for the medic, who soon began to examine his wound. After, he sprinkled on the sulphur power.

"He needs a jeep, Abbey". Roe told her.

Abbey went off to radio in for a jeep, which would take him to the aid station. That guy was heading home, before the war in Europe officially ended. And when she told Popeye, the Sargent had a few words with his drunk man. The sound of shots being fired alone alerted Abbey. It had been a while since she heard shots being fired that close.

But she was relieved it was nothing too sinister.

Abbey watched the jeep drive down the road.

She wiped her bloodied hands against her trousers.

"You hurt?" Liebgott asked, who jogged over to her.

Abbey shook her head.

"No". She mumbled, "a replacement shot himself in the leg".

"He's that bored, huh?"

Abbey huffed, "I think so".

Sighing, Liebgott looked around.

The locals were cleaning up.

They had sweeping brushes, while the men moved all the rubble to locate their things. And the kids had fun climbing up the mountain of possessions and reached the top to admire the view.

Abbey looked at him, once the blood was off her hands.

"Lieb?"

He looked back at her.

"Was there something you wanted to tell me?"

And a lovely smile lifted his face, "yeah – there is".

Abbey frowned, confused by the happy smile.

Liebgott placed a hand on her shoulder, "Hitler's dead".

At first, this strange laugh left her.

Like a mixture between confusion and relief.

"What?" She then asked, once she stopped laughing.

Liebgott squeezed her shoulder, "he shot himself in Berlin-"

"dead?"

He nodded, "well, yeah – Abbey".

Her mouth felt dry.

Abbey swallowed.

"The war here is over?"

And Liebgott shook his head, "not yet, Abbey".

Her eyes soon wondered over to the locals.

The string quartet continued to play.

"Do they know?" Abbey asked him quietly.

"Yeah – I think so".

"Explains why they're so fucking sad".

Liebgott wrapped his arm around her.

The pair of them stared at the Germans who were cleaning up.

"Maybe they're just happy it's coming to an end, Abbey".

She watched the Germans in silence.

It was very strange. But thankfully, Vest came down to offer her a distraction.

"Abbey – for you".

She took the envelope and didn't recognise the handwriting straight away.

Giving her shoulder a squeeze, Liebgott left her alone to read her letter.

Abbey sat down on wall and opened the envelope.

Unfolding the letter, her heart squeezed.

_ "Abbey, _

_ I got your letter. Thanks. It made me smile. Still in the hospital, really shit. They cut my leg off, they couldn't save it. It turned green. They had to cut it off, Abbey. They've cut into my leg four times, trying to save it and they thought I was a goner that fourth time but I'm still here. Back in the States now, sure feels good to be home. Bill's with me too. He's doing good too. _

_ I'm doing fine, Abbey. Don't worry about me. I'm better now. I don't have my leg, but I'll be alright. So will Bill. We've got each other right now. And the nurses and doctors are good to us here. Nice nurses, Abbey. I really like them-"_

Abbey smiled a little.

And she'd bet, the nurses liked him too.

_ "one of them wants my address, I think. I think I'll let her have it. _

_ Got a letter from Malark. You're the squad leader now, huh? I'm proud of you Abbey. You deserve that promotion; the squad are in good hands. I know you'll keep them right. And he told me about Jack. That's really bad, Abbey. He was a good guy. A real good friend to us. We'll sure miss him a lot. _

_ Can't wait to see you again, Abbey. I sure hope you meant that. You can stay with me; I'll show you around and I'll take you for a drink. Just like old times, huh? And listen, don't worry about your family, huh? I'm sure they'll turn up-"_

Abbey sighed heavily.

She never told him what had happened.

She wished she had.

_ "They're good people, Abbey and they love you. Don't worry about it. I'll leave my address at the bottom of the letter, so you can come and see me when you win. _

_ I'll close this for now. _

_ Love you, Abbey. _

_ -Joe". _

Her smile wobbled.

Abbey read over the letter five more times.

She missed him so much.

But it was a good ending, to a very eventful and haunting few days.


	66. Chapter 65

In early May; 2nd Battalion led the 506th into Bavaria. They had high hopes in capturing Berchtesgaden. It was the crown town, hidden in the alps. All the important Nazi officers lived there. The heads of the Third Reich. And though Hitler had killed himself, he had apparently ordered the SS to make it their last stand.

So, they expected resistance.

And it was a little tense.

Abbey was pacing back and forth.

She passed the truck at least twenty times.

Men were scattered on the road, which sat up on the mountain.

The SS had blocked the roads.

Try as they might, Easy was having a hard time shifting the blockage. They used their grenades, bazookas and all types of explosives. The men got creative, but it didn't make a dent in the blockage. So, they had to sit around and wait for the engineers to arrive.

"We need a tank-"

"you see one?"

Heffron sighed, "last time I suggest something".

Malarkey smirked, "well…I'm sure the engineers will bring one up".

"Sure hope so, Sarge". Janovec mumbled, "pretty warm up here".

Janovec was right, it was warm.

They didn't have any shade to protect them from the high and glaring sun.

"Keep drinking". Abbey reminded him, while she walked by the truck again.

Sighing, Janovec brought out his canteen.

"Alright, Sarge".

"Think it'll be busy up there?" Eddie Joint wondered, "think they're waiting for us?"

"No idea". Malarkey said, "I don't hear anything".

"They could have us on the side of this mountain". Heffron pointed out, "we'd be pretty screwed if they started attacking us now".

They each looked up.

Staring at the top of the mountain.

Grant pulled an amused face, when he spotted them.

"Bird watching?"

Grinning, Malarkey looked at him.

"SS watching".

"How's that going-"

"terrible". Abbey muttered, passing them again.

Grant watched her walk passed the truck.

"Enjoying your walk, Abbey?"

Heffron chuckled, "I think she's anxious-"

"she's trying to run away from the sun". Eddie added with a lazy smile.

"You think she's anxious, Jigger?" Grant asked Heffron, "Abbey can't keep still".

"That's her problem". Malarkey mused with a smile, "always had that issue".

During her walk away from the truck, Abbey almost crashed into Speirs.

The Captain saved them both, by placing his hand on her shoulder.

Abbey looked at him, "sorry, sir". She mumbled.

"It's fine".

Speirs then looked behind him, eyeing the jeep with Nixon and Winters.

And she followed his stare, curiously.

Abbey looked back at the Captain, "no engineers?"

"Not yet". Speirs said, "I'm sensing a long wait-"

"shouldn't there be another way?"

"There should".

The Captain faced her again.

Abbey rubbed the back of her neck, "you know, I wouldn't be happy if the French beat us, sir".

And his eyes lightened, "no?"

She shook her head. "I think we deserve this win".

"We have orders to clear this road".

Rubbing her lips together, Abbey looked towards the men planting more explosives by the rocks and blockage. "We might be knocking against something we cannot enter, sir".

Speirs snorted, "right – well, what should we do?"

Shrugging, she looked back at him.

"I am not familiar with this area".

He smirked, "right…let's express our eagerness to Major Winters".

"Ours, sir?" Abbey asked, one eyebrow raised.

Speirs nodded, "yeah, you're apart of this too, Sargent".

She giggled, sounding a little nervous and impressed.

And then, Abbey shrugged.

"Alright, sir".

The two of them walked over to the jeep.

And it was Speirs, who spoke first.

"If you're looking for someone to find another way up that mountain, Easy Company is ready and willing".

Well, he wasn't wrong there.

But Abbey sensed other reasons behind his motives.

Speirs had developed a new hobby.

And, he had gathered quite a fortune from it.

"Duly noted". Winters said with a smile, "I already recommended you to Colonel Sink".

"Terrific". Speirs said, "let's go find out where Hitler lived".

Hand on her shoulder, he led her away from the jeep.

"Ron". But Winters stopped them, "we're not sure what's up there. The Colonel doesn't want us taking any unnecessary risks".

Speirs looked at his fingers, then up towards the mountain.

"So, the French are 'gonna beat us to the Eagle's nest?"

Abbey looked up at him.

She could have sworn he was pouting.

And suddenly, his hand went back on her shoulder.

Speirs gave her a tug back, allowing a jeep to drive up next to them.

Inside the jeep was Colonel Sink and his jeep driver, Lorraine.

Abbey smiled over at the jeep driver.

Who grinned back at her.

Soon, they were saluting the Colonel.

Sink looked relaxed, while he smoked his cigarette.

"Gents". He said, "I just had a conversation with General LeClerc. He told me he was the first into Paris and, by God, he wanted to be the first into Berchtesgaden".

Abbey's shoulders dropped.

Like the rest, she was just as anxious to get up there.

"I told him I understood his point". Sink took another drag from his cigarette.

Then, he looked up at Winters.

"Now, you fire up 2nd Battalion and outflank that French son of a bitch".

That brought a smile to their faces.

"Yes, sir". Winters easily complied.

They saluted Sink again, just before he was about to drive off.

However, the Colonel then spotted Abbey, who was tucked in next to Speirs.

"Sargent Harrison".

Abbey jumped a little.

Her eyes widened.

"Colonel Sink". She responded, sounding a little breathless.

The man smiled and gave her a nod.

"Have fun up there, Sargent".

Abbey swallowed, when her mouth suddenly felt dry.

She didn't answer right away.

Speirs elbowed her side.

"Ah – thank you, sir. I will, sir". Abbey replied, sounding rushed and clumsy.

Chucking quietly, Sink gave them all a nod.

And they saluted him once more, before the jeep drove away.

Speirs and Abbey stepped forward.

"I want Easy Company in the lead". Winters said. "Have them assemble down the autobahn".

"Yes, sir". Speirs replied.

It was probably, their best ever order.

…

Berchtesgaden was deserted.

It was earie, quiet and beautiful.

They had entered a fairy-tale town, with gingerbread houses and snow-caped mountains surrounding them. It was the second time Abbey had felt like she was in one of her books. This town screamed fantasy; she'd never seen anything like it.

Their first order was to find and secure a place for Colonel Sink and his men to stay.

Which just happened to be the Berchtesgaden Hoff, a very overly fancy and famous hotel. It's where all the high-ranking Nazi officers used to live. Such as Josef Goebbels, Heinrich Himmler and Joachim von Ribbentrop. And as grand as it was, Abbey wanted to burn it down.

Hanging from the entrance were Nazi flag banners.

Bold red. Black for the Swastika and white.

The strange thing about those colours, was that it gave you a sense of unease when looked upon. It made Abbey feel tense, like danger was about to occur. She didn't like it. Her friends would take the flags and send them back home, but Abbey couldn't stand the sight of it.

While the officers set about securing the hotel, Talbert had Easy searching for places to stay. It was fun, trying to pick the best-looking house. Abbey, Malarkey, Grant and Popeye raced up and down the street, trying to pick out a nice house. The house Malarkey found, he quickly claimed and had the 2nd Platoon Sargent's all gathered inside.

It was large.

The ceilings were high, and they had this huge fireplace in the sitting room.

Upstairs, they had a room each with two bathrooms.

Abbey's room looked across town.

She even had a balcony.

And, in the centre of the room was a large and comfortable bed.

The sheets were soft, and she had many pillows and cushions.

They were living like royalty.

Of course, the first thing she did was jump right onto that bed.

Her head was swallowed up by pillows.

Abbey let out a long and content sigh; she could have fallen asleep.

But soon, Grant came bursting in her room.

"We've found one!"

And Abbey was up like a flash.

Running back down the stairs, they soon walked down another set of stairs, which led down into a basement. Popeye was already there; the light was on and he was grinning. Abbey saw shelves of wine and champagne. Malarkey grabbed a bottle of champagne and popped it open.

** Bang! **

It sounded like a gun going off.

But, instead of their usual feelings towards gun fire.

The Sargent's all laughed and grabbed a bottle of their own.

"Here's to us – drinking that dead son-of-a-bitch's booze!" Grant exclaimed, with a large grin.

"Cheers!"

After a few gulps of champagne, Abbey and Grant left the house.

They crossed the street and headed over to the hotel with Speirs.

Inside, it was like walking into a castle.

Abbey got lost, while she took everything in.

The huge staircase, which seemed to go on and on.

The pictures hanging on the wall and the chandelier, which sparkled from the sun, while it shone through a wide window by the stairs. Everything inside was breathtakingly glorious, but it also made her sick, to think that those types of people lived here at one point.

"Major Winters, sir".

To her right, Grant and Speirs had entered a large dinging room.

Inside, she could see Winters and Welsh placing silverware into their helmets.

"Grant?" Winters addressed.

"Permission to climb the mountain, sir. The Eagles nest?"

Abbey moved into the dinging area.

It was, just as she thought – another fancy room.

And she felt very out of place standing there.

"What is this?" Welsh mumbled, holding something up to his face.

"Wait one minute". Winters told Grant kindly. "Harry, have F Company put a double guard on the hotel. Set up roadblocks on the west side of town. I want Battalion HQ to seal off the north side and prepare for prisoners".

Welsh gave a little nod, "Sargent Grant".

"And, Harry". Winters added, "nobody gets hurt. Not now".

Then, Speirs took down a banner from the wall.

It created a loud rustle and they all turned towards the sound.

"And Easy?" The Captain asked.

"Easy'll head up the mountain through the Obersalzberg. And take the Eagles Nest".

Grant smiled and nodded, before he followed Welsh out of the hotel.

Abbey was standing by a chest of drawers, staring at an ornament.

It was a golden horse.

Though, not big, it was small and neat. And the horse had its head down, as if he was eating the grass. Abbey thought it looked very random on top of the chest of drawers, while it stood there alone, without his heard.

"Let's go, Sargent". Speirs called for her.

Eyes leaving the horse, they soon met Winters, who had been watching her.

Giving him a small smile first, she then saluted him.

"Major Winters".

He smiled in return, "have fun up there, Abbey".


	67. Chapter 66

They had a choice.

Easy could either take the conveys or run.

And in true Toccoa spirit, the Toccoa men decided to run up the side of the mountain to reach the prize at the top – the Eagles Nest. It was the best feeling in the world, knowing they were about to head into a once occupied Nazi house.

At the bottom of the mountain, Talbert grinned.

"Let's go, Easy!"

"Currahee!" Malarkey cheered.

And soon, the others followed.

"Currahee!"

They all took off into a run, each wearing a smile.

Abbey ran at the back.

She was constantly look over her shoulder and waving to her friends on the conveys.

They'd wave back and cheer them on.

Abbey would turn back around and look up towards the blue sky.

Her boots slammed against the surface.

She used her arms to help aid her and keep her going forward.

"Hi-ho silver!" Grant yelled.

And they shared a laugh.

Sobel. They'd never forget him. That's for sure.

Abbey continued to run, a tiny breeze brushed passed her body and whipped her hair.

It fell out of its bun and almost knocked Popeye in the face.

Malarkey hit the path and raised his fist into the air.

"Currahee!" He yelled.

While the men in the coveys below them yelled and raised their fists too.

Grant ran over to him and tackled him onto the ground.

Everyone was laughing.

Abbey had never seen the men so happy.

Well, not for a long time.

It took them around an hour to climb up to the Eagles Nest.

When she reached the top, Abbey was panting hard.

She couldn't remember the last time she had ran that hard and fast up a mountain. Probably back in Toccoa. They were the first to reach the top and waited for the conveys to arrive with the rest of the men.

Abbey had to admit; it was a beautiful house.

It was large, open and modern.

A castle in the sky.

Inside, the place was littered with expensive works art.

Mostly sculptures and paintings.

Abbey didn't have much of an interest in art. But she could see a lot of wide eyes, while they took everything in. She was more interested to see if someone still lived here. A Nazi, perhaps. Which would take an interesting turn. A lot of the guys from Easy were eager to capture a Nazi, Abbey was one of them.

She held up her rifle with Alton More.

Grant and Malarkey opened a set of double doors.

Speirs stepped forward and the rest followed after him.

Abbey lowered her rifle, it was empty.

They had entered a sitting room of sorts. With nice sofas, armchairs, tables with champagne in buckets and a fireplace. There was a set of stairs leading away from the room, which Speirs got Malarkey to explore, while the rest investigated the room.

More had found himself a bottle of champagne, which he helped himself too.

While Abbey moved in front of the fireplace and walked behind a sofa.

Looking down, she jumped a little.

Lying there, was a dead Nazi.

Biting down on her lip, she knelt down and rolled the dead Nazi over.

In his hand was a gun and, on his head, was a bullet hole.

Speirs reached down and picked up the gun.

** Bang! **

They all jumped.

And Speirs looked slightly pissed off.

Abbey turned around and saw Malarkey.

He had popped open a bottle.

The Sargent gave a nod, after looking at the dead Nazi.

"Here's to him".

More was on the other side of room, looking intently at something on the table.

Abbey stepped over the dead German and walked over to him.

Standing by More's side, she looked down at the table.

It was a photo album.

Abbey frowned and tilted her head to the side.

There was a photo of a parade below the mountains.

A photo of Hitler shaking hands with German officers.

And a photo of Hitler and a few others at a table. A table in this room.

Feeling a tiny shiver roll down her spine, Abbey looked behind her.

And she spotted the table.

…

Guard duties and OP's were put into place.

And once the Nest was secured, most of Easy headed back down the mountain to patrol the rest of Berchtesgaden. Abbey had seen enough of Hitler's house. It made her feel sick being inside of it. So, she was happy to be away from it. Jumping off the truck, she put Heffron on guard duty and got Liebgott to take out a small patrol around town.

And when they cleared off, Abbey carefully snuck inside the hotel.

She could hear voices in various rooms.

But Abbey headed right into the dining room, to see if that golden horse was still there. And she was a little gutted to see that someone had already taken it off the chest of drawers. Shoulders dropping, Abbey turned around and walked out of the hotel. It would have been the first proper thing she had looted, and Abbey was looking forward to giving that horse a home.

Even if she didn't exactly know where home was anymore.

But those were worries for a later day.

Abbey tended not to think about the future.

She'd much prefer to live in the moment.

"You off duty?"

Malarkey spotted her leaving the hotel and ran over to her.

Abbey nodded.

She didn't have anything else to do.

"Why?" She wondered.

Malarkey grinned, "let's go sightseeing".

Her eyes lightened.

And together, the Sargent's wondered up the street.

It was easy to barge into a house. They'd either shoot the lock and smash open a window. Both of them were a little tipsy from the champagne, so, they didn't think much of it. Once they got inside, the first thing they'd look for was a basement – that's where all the alcohol was kept and out in Berchtesgaden, you could never have enough.

In that basement, it was pretty much the same.

Wine and champagne.

They picked up a box and filled it with bottles of expensive alcohol. And when they got back to the house, Grant and Popeye were back from duty, with a few findings of their own. They sat around and drank the bottles, while eating their rations. It was a quiet and pleasant early evening.

"Winters put a double guard by his house".

"No shit, really?" Popeye asked Grant, who nodded in return.

"Apparently, the cellar is sky high with all kinds of booze".

Grant was telling them that they stumbled across Herman Goering's house. And Winters wanted to keep that place secured and guarded at all times. It was a very interesting and exciting find. Even more so that the place was stacked with booze.

"Who's on guard duty?" Malarkey asked.

"Uh – that kid from 1st Platoon".

"O'Keefe?" Popeye wondered.

Grant nodded, "yeah – that's the one".

Malarkey smirked, "shouldn't be too hard to sneak by him".

"Oh, we ain't doing that".

"Come on, Chuck…".

"Malark, the kids just trying to do his job". Grant pointed out. "We'll get the booze".

Popeye sighed, "it'll be gone by tomorrow, Chuck".

The Platoon Sargent looked over at Abbey.

"What do you think, Abbey?"

She shrugged, "I'm happy with waiting".

Malarkey and Popeye groaned, while Grant smiled.

"See? It'll be fine, fellas".

…

Leaning against the railings, Abbey looked up towards a large and pale moon.

Her friends were still down the stairs, polishing off more wine and champagne.

And Abbey decided to take a breather from alcohol.

There would be plenty of opportunities to drink soon enough.

Below her, she could hear men talking while they walked back from duty and headed home. Abbey could hear Webster and Liebgott talking and she looked down at them, with a small smile. It was hard to imagine a life without them. She felt her heart tighten and looked back up towards the moon, trying to supress those feelings of heartache, when she'd have to one day bid these men farewell.

"Sargent?"

A very quiet voice interrupted her thoughts.

Turning around, Abbey saw Speirs standing by the balcony doors.

Clearing his throat, he walked over and stood next to her.

Abbey faced the moon again.

"So, I did a little digging". Speirs said to her, "I – uh – I found something you might like".

At first, Abbey thought he might have had the horse she had spotted in the hotel.

But it wasn't that at all.

In fact, it was something completely unexpected.

Speirs huffed out a little laugh, "only book I found in English".

Peter Pan.

Abbey had to swallow back the emotions, which got stuck in her throat.

Letting out a small sigh, she took the book from his hands.

And somehow, uttered a very quiet; "thank you".

"She – uh – she told me". Speirs explained, "Anna…about…about Harry and-"

"yeah". Abbey whispered, cutting him off.

He nodded and faced the view again.

Abbey's fingers trailed down the hardback copy.

Rubbing her lips together, she flicked threw the pages.

Speirs was right, it was written in English.

And while staring at the book, Abbey wondered if Sobel still had her copy.

That made her smile a little, while she imagined her old Company Commander reading her book. Sighing again, Abbey faced the front. She never thought she'd see another copy of Peter Pan until the war ended. It was a very nice and surprising gift. And it really warmed her up inside.

Abbey looked at Speirs.

He was busy staring out ahead of him.

Her lips turned up into a soft smile.

"What?" Speirs asked.

Laughing very softly threw her nose, Abbey shook her head.

"You don't have to thank me again". He told her, "I won't hear it".

A wider smile reached her lips.

Abbey nodded, "okay, sir".

"Good". Speirs mumbled.

He was always saving her.

One way or another, Speirs always seemed to appear.

Whether it was back in Normandy with Nelson.

Or in the forest while holding the line at Bastogne.

And then taking command of Easy.

Speirs was always there.

Abbey didn't know how to thank him.

"Why did you pick me to be your best man, sir?"

That question surprised him.

But Speirs never removed his stare from the moon.

"You were there". He answered plainly.

Abbey smiled again and she faced the nights sky.

"We're not really supposed befriend our men…". He continued.

Though, Abbey would have been satisfied with the first answer.

"Hell, I figured you're my friend – why the hell not".

He then added.

"You're not alone, Sargent". Speirs said, "you've still got friends".

"I know". Abbey mumbled softly, "and my actions made me believe that I was alone".

She was referring to the "magic booze" and the night she climbed onto the church roof.

Abbey didn't have to tell Speirs what she meant; he already knew.

Rubbing her lips together, Abbey blinked back the tears.

"Thank you". She croaked.

Speirs wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"You're welcome, Abbey".


	68. Chapter 67

The next morning, Abbey expected to be on guard duty.

Or, put the squad to work.

But when she went to see Talbert about possible jobs that morning, the 1st Sargent didn't give her anything to do.

"We're off duty".

She pulled a face, "everyone?"

He nodded, with a broad grin.

"That's right – have some fun, Abbey".

She thought that was odd but went with it and told her squad the good news. For that day off, they all decided to run around and loot more. Abbey wasn't sure what to do. She thought about reading and spending her day indoors, on her bed. But that wasn't to be. When she reached the front door, the sound of a horn caught her attention.

Turning around, Abbey spotted Speirs in a jeep.

"Get in!"

She looked back at the front door.

And with a sigh, Abbey turned around and walked over to the jeep.

A day of ready would just have to wait.

She jumped into the jeep beside Speirs and he drove forwards.

Abbey never asked where they were going. And the question inside her head was answered, when they started driving up the side of the mountain.

"The Eagles Nest, sir?" She asked.

Speirs nodded, "that's right".

Abbey wasn't a huge fan of the Nest.

But orders were orders.

"Do me a favour". He said, "check for smokes in the glove compartment".

A soft smile brightened her face.

_ "Hey – get in there and get my smokes, would you?" _

Lorraine had asked her, and Abbey had no idea what smokes meant back then. Opening the compartment, Abbey found a packet of Lucky Strikes. Huffing out a tiny laugh, she grabbed the packet and brought it out.

"Lucky you, sir".

Speirs smiled and took the packet.

"Thank you, Sargent".

Abbey leaned back against the seat.

Her hand went out towards the wind, allowing a breeze to push through her fingers. Letting out a content sigh, she closed her eyes and well and truly relaxed, for the first time in a very long time. It was the most enjoyable journey she had ever been on. Minus riding around in the trains with her dad – nothing could ever beat that.

Exiting the jeep, Speirs led the way.

Walking up a flight of stairs, they soon walked onto a stoned patio.

The view was breath taking.

The entire deck looked over a beautiful mountain range. Abbey had to observe what was in front of her first. But, sitting on the lawn chairs were Welsh and Nixon, who had many bottles of champagne and wine on the ground and tables. They were both a little drunk already. Abbey could hear them laugh and talk lightly about darker topics. Such as, the Nazi's themselves.

"Here – have a drink".

Abbey sat down opposite Welsh and Nixon and she took the bottle handed to her.

She gave the wine a sniff, "alright". Abbey mumbled, "thanks, sir".

Nixon grinned and leaned back against the chair, legs stretching out before him.

Taking a sip, Abbey tried not to pull a face.

She never did like wine. And she tended to stay away from getting drunk off it. But it was all they had to offer, wine and champagne. No whiskey, Cognac or "magic booze". She'd settle for wine, if it meant sitting out and admiring the mountain range. And of course, she liked being around Speirs. She'd settle for wine, if it meant spending a few hours with him.

Though, it did feel strange getting drunk with three officers.

Usually, she'd drink with her friends, the NCO's.

Guys who had seen her drunk.

So, Abbey couldn't get that drunk.

At least, she tried not to.

…

Two hours later and everyone was laughing.

Nixon was sharing funny stories, Welsh shared a few about his teenage years too.

Abbey and Speirs were happy enough to listen and laugh along with them.

"What about you, Abbey?" Welsh asked, "you done anything crazy?"

Smirking, Abbey nodded.

"Yes, sir". She responded, "me and Bill escaped a cell".

Nixon let out a shocked laugh, "you were in jail?"

Abbey nodded, "yes. For one night".

The three of them laughed.

They found that hard to imagine. But then again, she did often surprise them.

Abbey would never get tired of telling that story. The morning she and Guarnere escaped the slammer. It was one of her memorable stories. And a fond memory. She'd never forget it.

"You're all red". Speirs pointed at her mouth, "I thought you were drinking white wine".

Abbey looked inside the bottle.

"No, sir". She mumbled, "the first two were white".

"Oh, Jesus". Nixon sniggered, "better slow down, Abbey".

"She'll be fine". Speirs waved off his slight concern, "she's had absinthe".

"Really?" Welsh's eyes looked even more surprised, "where'd you get that?"

But Abbey just looked confused.

"What's absinthe, sir?"

And then, Welsh's eyes shone, while his head perked up.

A large grin spread across his face.

"Hey, Adolf!"

Abbey, Nixon and Speirs followed his stare.

Winters and Lipton were both beaming, highly amused.

"Love your Eagles Nest!" Welsh continued, while getting onto unsteady feet.

He then reached Winters and clapped his arm.

"I hope you don't mind…we made ourselves at home".

Welsh looked unsteady on his feet; the Major grabbed his arm, while his eyes scanned the other officers and Abbey, who he was slightly surprised to see. Though, it appeared no one was sober. Not that Winters minded.

"Love what you've done with the place". Welsh patted Winters on the chest, before he bent down and picked up another bottle of wine. "Here. Have a drink".

Abbey looked up at the Major.

_ Would he really do it? _

"Come on…just so we can say we saw you do it".

Chuckling, Winters didn't take the bottle.

His eyes then wondered to everyone on the patio.

Abbey sat herself up, and turned around, so she could see him better.

"Listen up". Winters told them, trying to mask his amusement. He pulled out a sheet of paper and looked at it, "from corps – just came in".

Abbey took another swig of red wine.

"Effective immediately, all troops stand fast on present positions".

Nixon placed his hands behind his head, "standing fast".

"What does that mean?" Speirs wondered.

While Welsh tried to straighten himself up.

It made Winters chuckle. Which caused the rest of them to laugh along with him.

"You 'wanna hear it?" The Major asked, in a slight teasing manor.

Welsh hummed and nodded.

Winters, smiling, clapped the Lieutenant's shoulder.

"Are you ready for it?" He then looked at the others. "Listen up".

Abbey had no idea what the man was about to say.

It could have been anything.

But it had to be something so wonderful, that had Winters smiling this much.

"The German army surrendered".

And it was.

It was wonderful news.

Everyone was quiet.

Abbey's lips parted in shock.

Winters gave Welsh's cheek a slap before he pointed at Nixon.

"I've got a present for you. Come on".

Nixon got up and followed Winters out of the patio.

Which just left Abbey, Speirs, Welsh and Lipton.

And they still couldn't believe it.

"Is it…?" Welsh asked Lipton cautiously.

He nodded, "yeah".

Laughing, they both gave each other a quick hug.

Biting her lip, Abbey looked at her hands.

_ What next? _

She wondered, while a wave crashed into her chest. It was ending. Abbey was going to lose a place she felt where she belonged. And though she was happy that her friends could go home and live their lives peacefully. There was no denying, that Abbey was going to miss them.

Lipton and Speirs shook hands.

"Finally, huh?"

"Yeah. Been here long enough".

Welsh sighed and slumped back down on the seat.

It was over.

Abbey thought back to New Years. When the men would shake hands at the start of another year. They'd celebrate, wish each other the best and get drunk. She supposed winning the European war was something similar but times one hundred.

Leaning forwards, Welsh grabbed Abbey's shoulders.

"It's over, Abbey!" He cheered.

"Harry". Lipton mumbled.

She didn't look up for celebrating.

And her eyes remained focused on her hands.

Welsh let go of her shoulders, "come on, Abbey…it's over. We won, huh?"

Abbey remembered when Britain joined the war.

She remembered the first time Liverpool was bombed.

Hiding in that Anderson shelter with her family, praying they'd survive.

It had been a long war for her.

Raising her eyes, she gave them a tight smile.

Putting down the wine, Abbey got onto her feet.

And, just like on New Years Day, she shook the men's hands.

"Happy V-E day". Abbey mumbled.

…

V-E day was spent drunk. Large amounts of alcohol from Goering's cellar was bought up for each Company. Easy had a large amount and shared bottles out between their Platoon's. It was going to be a very eventful night. Abbey, who had previously drunk three bottles of wine that day, was extremely drunk.

She didn't know what was going on at one point.

Her legs barely worked, and it took her half an hour to get up from a couch.

Eventually, someone had to help her up.

They had a lot of whiskey to go around as well, which Abbey was happy about. She tasted many brands from all around the world and they were all highly expensive. So, her blood was full of alcohol and her stomach felt heavy.

Everyone had a good night.

Though, Abbey spotted a lot of guys throwing-up wherever they could.

Especially on the streets.

It was like running up Currahee again, with a stomach full of spaghetti. Abbey had to step over puddles of vomit, while she stumbled and wondered around the town.

"Ah – not so fast".

Grabbing her arm, Liebgott pulled her back.

"Back inside, you ain't doing nothing stupid tonight".

She was too drunk to care.

Abbey followed Liebgott back inside the house.

…

Easy had to be up the next morning for assemble.

No one wanted to get out of bed, some were still drunk.

Abbey wasn't drunk but she felt horrible.

That wine wasn't sitting well with her.

She managed to put on her trousers, socks and shirt.

That's all she could do in her current state.

A lot of the men didn't even bother putting on their trousers, they simply walked out in their boxers, shirtless. Not that Abbey was embarrassed, she had seen it all before. The hungover Company lined up and Speirs came out to see that they were all present.

He didn't mention about the lack of clothing or the turn out.

Speirs simply grunted and sent them off.

They all went back to bed.

But it wasn't the last time they'd show up hungover for the assemble in the morning.

For one whole week, Easy got drunk.

When they weren't drinking, they were doing occupational duty.

And when they weren't doing any of that, they were looting.

Which left the rest of the hours for sleeping.

Abbey didn't sleep a lot that week.

And her body hated it for it.

…

Opening the double doors, Abbey stepped into the Hoff with a piece of paper in her hands.

The doors closed behind her and the thud echoed around the giant entrance.

Rubbing her lips together, Abbey tried to work out where they might be.

This place was huge, how was she meant to know where 2nd Battalion officers lived.

Sighing, Abbey contemplated on calling out names but quickly decided against that. Colonel Sink and his officers lived here; they wouldn't be very happy with a Sargent yelling for the man she was looking for.

"Abbey?"

Quickly turning around, she spotted Winters.

The Major was walking out from the dining room.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, not unkindly, just curiously.

"Hello, sir". She greeted, "I was looking for Captain Speirs, sir…this is from Chuck. It's a supply check from our Platoon, sir".

"Oh, great". Winters said, "well, I'll take that from you, Sargent".

Smiling small, Abbey handed him the sheet of paper.

He smiled back, "thank you".

"You are welcome, sir".

Taking a little step back, Winters looked at her.

He couldn't believe how far she had come since Toccoa.

But then again, he looked at all the Toccoa men in wonderment.

Winters remembered how quiet she was and how hard she found it to engage in any conversation. He used to worry about Abbey. Worry how she would handle life in combat, worried that she wouldn't create a bond with the men. And now, he just wanted her and everyone else to get home safely.

"Follow me". He told her softly.

She followed him up a flight of stairs, where Abbey's eyes wondered to various paintings on the wall. She had never been up the stairs. When they reached the correct floor, Winters opened a door and they were soon standing in a very large bedroom. It even had a small sitting area, with a couch and a coffee table.

Winters walked over to his bedside table and opened a drawer.

Something golden and small was in his hands.

"I believe this is yours, Abbey".

It was the golden horse.

She smiled, while the ornament was placed in her hand.

"Good choice". Winters complimented, "I like that horse".

"Me too, sir". Abbey mumbled softly.

"Are you ready for Austria?"

Frowning a little, she looked at him.

"That's where we're going, sir?"

Winters smiled a little, "yeah, Abbey…you didn't know?"

Abbey shook her head.

"Well". He said with a sigh, "there's a German Regiment in Austria. Obersalzberg".

Her frown furthered.

What was an Obersalzberg?

Winters smiled again, "that's the place in Austria we're heading too".

Abbey huffed softly.

Of course, that's what he meant.

"Okay, sir". She said with another smile.

Austria.

Abbey wondered what that might be like.


	69. Chapter 68

Instead of an aggressive combat unit, they became an occupation force.

And no one thought a place could be better than Berchtesgaden.

But Zell am See was proving to be heaven on earth.

Tucked between high mountains, lushes' grass and thick trees. The men made a home in the heart of Austria. There, they went swimming in lake Zell and explored the dark forests. They drank fine brandy, met a lot of beautiful women and lived in beautiful houses Austria had to offer.

_ Heaven on earth._

"…break".

"No, there is no need-"

"break!"

Abbey's foot slammed into the break.

Both she and Grant jerked forwards.

Groaning softly, she raised her head and sure enough, the jeep was inches way from hitting a cow. The cow didn't look too traumatised, she simply mooed and continued to eat the grass. It was Grant's idea to have her learning to drive in a field. A cow field. Abbey couldn't stand the thought of harming a cow, so, she was extra careful.

"You see the-"

"I see the cow".

The cow raised her head, while she chewed on the grass.

Sighing quietly, Abbey leaned back against the seat.

Driving lessons weren't going well.

Grant was an excellent teacher; Abbey was just a useless learner.

He ran a hand down his face and then looked over at her.

"You almost hit the cow, Abbey".

"Yes". Abbey nodded, "but I didn't".

Snorting, Grant looked back at the cow.

"Well…she ain't going anywhere". He said, "she's not even scared".

For a few moments, the Sargent's simply stared at the cow.

She refused to move.

"Speirs has a new rule". Abbey mumbled, "did you hear about?"

"What? The no drinking outside, rule?" Grant asked, "yeah, I heard it".

Abbey shook her head, "does he think we will go hiking?"

He chuckled, "yeah – probably".

"How many points do you have?"

Grant snorted again, "not enough".

"Eight-five is the magic number". Abbey mumbled, "I wonder who has the required points, though decides to stay with the Company".

"You'd be insane to stick around".

She looked at him, "is that right?"

…

The next morning, bright and early, a squad of men went out to hunt for food.

They were living off potatoes, food wasn't well provided in Austria. They had more luck getting alcohol. Abbey didn't go hunting with her friends, she wouldn't be very good at it. So, the men left in search for the deer in the woods below the mountains.

Her squad were off duty that day.

The majority of them headed to the lake for a swim.

Abbey couldn't swim, so, she stayed away from the water.

And instead, she decided to take a walk around town.

There was plenty to do in Austria, Winters made sure of it.

He had a track, tennis court, baseball field and rifle range built.

A lot of competitions were held against other Company's, Battalion's, Regiments – all the way up to the ETO. For the men who were serious athletes, they loved taking part in the competitions. And for those who hoped for a future college or professional career, it was a great way to train.

Abbey had another hobby she'd do while off duty.

She'd go into HQ and play the piano.

No one minded, Winters allowed her to play for a few hours in the afternoon. The only time she wasn't allowed to play was if a meeting was being held. A meeting of sorts was being held up at HQ that day, all the officers were called up. Abbey took a walk instead. She walked on the road beside the lake and saw her friends jump into the water.

Close to the lake was the large hotel.

Battalion HQ.

It was magnificent.

Much better than the Hoff in Berchtesgaden.

Well, Abbey thought that anyway.

Heading off the road, she climbed up a boulder and sat on the top.

Knees drawing up to her chest, Abbey wrapped her arms around her legs.

She could have sat there for the whole day and watched the sun set.

And time seemed to fly by, while she got lost inside her own head.

The men inside the lake started to swim back to the bank, wrapping their bodies up with their towels when the water started to cool down. Abbey watched the last few men leave the lake, while she played with the ends of her hair. It had grown a lot and was darker in colour from not washing it as much.

"Been looking for you".

Lifting her chin from her knees, Abbey looked over her shoulder.

Speirs was climbing up the boulder.

And soon, he was sitting next to her.

He rubbed his hands together, "that meeting finished". Speirs said to her, "pretty quiet in there without your playing".

Abbey smiled a little.

She faced the front again.

The water was still, now that the men had left.

"Been here long?" Speirs brought out a cigarette.

"Oh – not long, sir".

Abbey had been sitting on the same spot for hours.

It just didn't feel like it.

He lit his cigarette, "you 'wanna know about the meeting?"

"Only if you want to share". She mumbled.

Speirs smirked and put his lighter back inside his front pocket.

Taking in a drag, he blew out the smoke from his mouth.

"We're heading off to fight in the Pacific".

Raising one eyebrow, Abbey looked at him.

Speirs nodded, "yeah – whole different kind of fighting over there, Sargent. So, we begin training in a couple of days". He then added, "mostly physical".

She sighed.

Well, that spoiled Austria.

Back to PT and runs.

Abbey shook her head, "I don't believe I am as fit as I was since Toccoa".

Speirs hummed, "yeah…that sounds about right".

A flock of birds flew over their heads.

Abbey looked up, when she heard them sing.

"And what of the points, sir?" She wondered, "will men be able to leave?"

"If they have enough points". Speirs confirmed, "but not a lot do".

Her head lowered down from watching the birds.

"Not if their only medals are purple hearts". He went on, "and if you haven't been injured, well – your chances are pretty slim".

Abbey sighed, "so, some of the Normandy guys have enough?"

"No". Speirs said, "which is why, we're holding a lottery".

She looked at him, "sir?"

"One man from each Company is given a free ticket home – can be anyone". He said, "replacement, decorated war hero…it's the luck of the draw".

"And all our names are added?"

Speirs nodded, "yup…even yours, Sargent".

Frowning a little, she looked away from him.

Her fingers touched her jump wings.

And she shook her head, "not my name, sir". Abbey mumbled, "I don't want to leave".

"Who would you pick?"

"All of them". She whispered.

Speirs smiled a little.

Abbey sighed quietly and rested her chin back onto her knees.

"Heard your driving lesson went well". He was being sarcastic; she could hear it in his voice. Speirs and Grant were good friends. And the Staff Sargent probably had a great time telling their Captain how close Abbey was to hitting that cow.

"He took me into a cow field". She tried to defend herself, "what matters is, I did not hit the bloody thing, sir".

Speirs chuckled, "yeah, you're probably right".

For some reason, Abbey's mind went back to those two kids, who were hiding in the basement. And then, she thought back to that whole day. With the dream and the realisation about her little brother. It was the hardest fact to swallow. It was tragic and she should have realised it before, but it was too heart breaking to imagine.

Abbey could have spent hours thinking about it.

And she might have only started to think about it again because of her driving lessons and her friends poking fun at her for almost knocking down a cow. So, there was a reason why her mind suddenly went back to that day and night. Why it went back to her parent's death. This year, she'd turn twenty-one and she had no idea where home was after the war.

It wasn't in Liverpool.

Where was it?

…

"Atten-Hutt!"

Boots snapped into place, while they all stood in attention.

"Right shoulder, ho!"

Their rifles went by their rifle shoulder.

"Order, ho!"

And then, their rifles went down by their sides, ends resting on the ground.

Speirs looked at his Company.

Easy were all assembled in the courtyard.

They were wearing their Class A-uniforms, everything was polished.

And each man, looked just as smart as the man next to him.

"At ease". Speirs eventually said.

The whole Company stood at ease.

All at the same time.

Like a magic trick.

"General Taylor is aware that many veterans, including Normandy veterans, still do not have the eight-five points required to be discharged". Speirs said, his voice clear and loud, while it reached the ears of all men. "On this, the anniversary of D-Day, he has authorized a lottery to send one man home in each Company, effective immediately".

Abbey watched, while Talbert walked over to Welsh with a helmet.

Inside that helmet, there should have been many slips of paper.

And written down, should have been each man's name.

Only, that wasn't the case.

Only one piece of paper was inside that helmet, with one name written down.

"For Easy Company, the winner is…".

Welsh handed Speirs the slip of paper.

He unfolded it.

"Come on, come on, come on…". Janovec whispered from behind her.

"Serial number 13066266, Sargent Darrell C. Powers!"

Everyone cheered.

Shifty was going home. And it was well deserved.

Abbey clapped along with the rest, a smile on her face.

But Speirs wasn't finished.

"Sargent Grant will see to it that 2nd Platoon takes over at the crossroads checkpoint beginning tonight at 2200 hours".

Abbey sighed a little.

2nd Platoon were back on duty.

"General Taylor has also announced that the 101st Airborne Division will definitely be redeployed to the Pacific". Speirs added.

And soon, all the smiles were gone from their faces.

"So, beginning tomorrow at 0600 hours, we will begin training to go to war".

After that announcement, Speirs dismissed the Company.

And the troops went over to Shifty, who was the star of the morning.

They all clapped his back, shook his hand and wished him good luck.

Abbey got to shake his hand too.

"Thanks for saving me, Shifty".

And his face dropped.

She was referring to when he found Abbey in the forest after that patrol.

Sighing, Shifty placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Now, you stay safe out there, Abbey". He told her, "and I'll see you when it ends".

Eyes lightening up, Abbey smiled with a nod.

"I will see you soon, Shifty".

He said goodbye to his friend and went off to the hotel to see Winters before he left.

Meanwhile, Easy had to prepare for another war.


	70. Chapter 69

"Lieb, I fucking hate this".

"Oh, Jesus Christ".

Parked on top of a grassy hill, was the jeep.

It looked towards a small wooden house. Which looked more like an old rundown shed. And occupying the field were cows and sheep. But they weren't there for the animals, they were there for the man occupying the house. And inside the jeep was Sisk, Liebgott, Webster and Abbey.

"They fingered him". Liebgott said, "he was in the room, Web. One of those Polacks that was at the slave camps said this is where the guy lives – right here".

Abbey had been pretty quiet during the journey.

Webster was vocal about was going to happen.

But they had orders to take the man inside down.

In fact, Speirs had given Abbey the order.

She requested for Liebgott - Speirs picked the other two men.

He should have picked someone other than Webster, it was obvious he wasn't happy with the order. The war was over, why should they still have to kill? But with what they had witnessed in Landsberg, two out of four seemed happy enough to follow that order.

Abbey wasn't sure how she felt.

"Which camp?" Webster almost barked.

Liebgott pulled a face, "whichever camp". He hissed, "I'm under direct orders and I'm happy to follow it – Abbey, let's go".

She, Liebgott and Sisk got out of the jeep.

They started to make their way down the slope, when Webster finally got out and followed after them. He jogged to catch up, but it didn't take him long. And he wasn't finished voicing his worries and differences towards this order.

"Is this a personal thing, Joe?"

"What?"

"Is this personal, to you?"

"No, it's a Goddamn order". Liebgott said, with a hint or irritation.

Webster then asked, "does Major Winters know about this?"

"It doesn't matter here-"

"oh, the fuck it doesn't!" Webster exclaimed, "what if this guys just a soldier? What if he's an officer with no ties to the SS? What if he's innocent?"

He tipped Liebgott over the edge a little.

"You know what?" He snapped, "what if he's a fucking Nazi Commandant of a fucking slave camp?"

And they both stopped waking, staring at each.

"Which camp?!" Webster yelled, "you don't have any proof!"

Liebgott eyed him up and down, "were you at Landsberg?"

"You know I was". Webster's voice lowered.

"You think he's a soldier, like you and me? A fucking innocent German officer?" He asked him, quietly this time, "where the hell have you been for the past three years?"

And while they were having their argument.

Sisk and Abbey were both standing there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. But the argument finished and Liebgott headed towards the house. He was eager to barge in and Abbey had to grab his arm, pulling him to a stop.

"Interrogate". She reminded him quietly, "then we'll-"

"kill him". Liebgott finished.

And before she could say anything else, he pushed the door open.

So much for being calm.

Abbey followed in after him.

The man inside was started and alarmed by the unwanted guests.

He dropped whatever he was holding, while Liebgott pointed a gun at him.

Abbey nodded towards the rooms and got Webster and Sisk to check the space out. She needed to stay close to Liebgott and keep an eye on him. Things should be done properly, even if the order was something disagreeable. Abbey didn't want Liebgott to lose his mind over this. She didn't want to see him punching this guy to the ground. Not because the man didn't deserve it – he did deserve it, and more. But because Abbey couldn't stand the thought of Liebgott living in guilt for doing something inhumane.

When the German started to shout, Abbey grew tense.

"Shut up". Liebgott told him.

German words were exchanged, ones which Abbey didn't understand.

Webster and Sisk gave her a nod.

The place was clear.

"No?" Liebgott said, "come here, old man".

He grabbed his jumper.

Abbey blinked at the sudden action.

"DON'T FUCKING LIE TO ME!" Liebgott practically screamed.

Eyes widening, her back pressed up against the wall.

Liebgott pushed the man onto a chair.

He was still yelling in German, probably trying to explain himself.

"SEE WHAT YOU DID TO MY FUCKING PEOPLE?!"

And this time, Liebgott did scream.

Slowly, Abbey slid down the wall until she was sitting in the corner of the room.

"NEIN! NEIN!"

"Alright, that's it!"

Liebgott pulled out his gun and pressed it against the man's head.

They were both shouting at each other.

The man tried to break free and his hand was pushing the plates off the table, when he tried to get a hold of Liebgott, who was having none of it. Abbey placed her hands over her ears and closed her eyes.

** Bang! **

But she still heard that shot.

Things went quiet for a few seconds.

When a chair was pushed back, and the door opened shortly after.

Opening her eyes, Abbey saw Liebgott running out of the house.

Looking towards the chair, she found it to be empty.

_ Where did the German go? _

Quickly, she got up from the ground and jogged outside.

Her eyes landed on Liebgott.

His gun had stopped working.

"Shoot him". Liebgott ordered.

"No". Webster replied.

He turned to face him, "SHOOT HIM!"

Abbey looked over and saw the German stagger up that hill. Soon enough, one shot fired out and the man fell face first on the grass. It was Sisk who took the shot. For a few moments, the four of them stayed silent and simply looked at the dead German.

Slowly, her eyes landed on Liebgott.

Abbey had only seen that side to him once.

But it didn't cause her fear, she just got worried.

Walking over to him, Abbey didn't say anything.

She simply wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face against his chest. Abbey heard him sigh quietly, before a hand went on her back.

"I'm sorry, Abbey". Liebgott whispered.

She squeezed him.

He wrapped both arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I won't yell like that again".

Abbey closed her eyes.

"No, it was not the yelling". She whispered, "I do not like it when you are in pain, Lieb".

Liebgott felt something tug at his heart.

And he nodded, "I'll be okay, Abbey – I promise".

…

When they got back, Abbey walked straight over to HQ to find Speirs.

Abbey found the man inside one of the living areas, where she usually played the piano during free time. The black piano was tucked away neatly in the corner of the large room, right by a huge window, which overlooked the gardens around the hotel. It was the most inspiring view.

Speirs was sipping on a glass of brandy.

He took a sip when he noticed her walk into the room.

Abbey gave him a nod.

Giving him the all-clear.

They completed the order.

"Any problems?"

"No, sir".

"Good".

Putting down his glass, he walked over to the drink's cabinet.

Picking up the botte of brandy, he poured a small amount into a glass.

And soon, Abbey had a stiff drink.

Brandy wasn't her favourite, but it was better than wine.

"Thank you, sir".

Speirs grabbed his drink again.

"Some of the men don't think we'll get a chance to jump". He said, "into the Pacific war".

Abbey took a sip.

She was listening and gave him a nod.

"What do you think?" Speirs asked her.

She swallowed the brandy, "I suppose we will just have to see, sir".

"I'm beginning to think you like this".

Abbey frowned a little.

Speirs shrugged, "being in the army, being a Sargent".

She cleared her throat, "I like the discipline, I suppose". Abbey admitted, "I like having a uniform job".

He chuckled lightly, "yeah – well, I've always been interested".

Abbey could have guessed that.

Some people were just made for the army.

Abbey never saw herself enlisting.

But now, she could see herself having a career in the army.

"What will you do, sir?" She asked him softly, "if we don't jump again?"

Giving his head a half shake, Speirs looked out of the window.

"Find another war, Sargent".

Abbey sighed, "I'm giving myself mixed signals".

"What do you mean?"

"A career in the army is fine but I feel that I can't handle things well".

Speirs pulled a face, "that's a silly thing to say".

Abbey huffed out a tiny laugh, "what?"

He looked at her, "you've handled things well. You had one slip, Sargent. We all slip up. But what matters is, we get back up again and do our jobs – which is exactly what you do". Speirs then looked back out of the window, "the army will be lucky to have you full time".

Smiling small, Abbey walked over and stood next to him.

"It won't be like another Easy". Speirs warned her.

"No". She mumbled in agreement, "nothing will ever be as good as Easy Company".

…

The rain was heavy that day.

After all the sunshine, it was only a matter of time before the rain started up.

"France. France was the best".

"Really?"

"Yeah".

Abbey checked the German's passport.

She looked at the couple, "where are you going?"

"Munich". The man responded, "can we go? It's fucking cold today".

A few feet away from her, Janovec was talking with one of the German officers.

"Five years". The officer continued, "I think I was in every country, but France was the best".

Abbey raised an eyebrow at the German man inside the car.

She handed him his papers back and gave a nod.

"Okay – have a good trip".

And he sped off down the road.

"Fucking arsehole". She muttered.

"Italy would be second for me". The German officer was telling Janovec. "Russia is not desirable. Ukraine – that was okay".

"So, when did you get out?" Janovec asked him curiously.

Abbey wondered over to them.

"My unit is discharged". He replied, "we leave when my Captain gets transferred. It is the end of my second war".

Janovec pulled a face, "Jesus".

"I'm going home now, to Mannheim".

A truck pulled up next to them.

"I'll take this one". Janovec said. "When do we get off, Sarge?" He asked, while walking towards the truck door, where the driver was.

Abbey checked her watch, "soon". She replied, "Web should be here".

The German officer looked at her, "it is not good weather for standing around".

"You've had worse, sir". She responded lightly, with a tiny smile.

He titled his head to the side, creating a half nod. "That is true…very true".

Abbey's eyes wondered back to Janovec, who saluted the German soldiers in the back of the truck. She smiled a little again.

"Webster!" Janovec exclaimed, "our relief".

"Don't the salute the Germans". He told him with a smirk.

Abbey gave him a nod, "I will come down in two hours. Babe will take your place".

"Thanks, Abbey".

She wondered over to the driver, who was getting down from the jeep.

Giving her a tiny grin, he tossed her the keys.

"You know how to work this thing, Sargent?"

Abbey caught the keys in her hands and nodded, "my driving lessons have been going well".

"Ah – thanks for letting me take a couple of hours off". He said, "I'm heading to the bar".

"Have fun". Abbey got into the driver's seat and started the engine.

A few seconds later, Janovec got into the jeep.

"Eighty-one!" Webster called over to him.

"Huh?"

"I have eighty-one points".

Abbey smiled a little, Janovec grinned.

"Well, it's just not good enough!"

Chuckling along with him, she turned the jeep around and headed down the road. It wasn't the best surface to drive along, the road was filled with giant potholes and dents. Abbey hit a few, which caused them both to jump up and down.

"This road is unforgiveable". She mumbled.

Janovec laughed, "yeah – you're doing great, Sarge".

As always, he offered nothing but positive comments towards Abbey. It was extremely hard to dislike Janovec, he was so easy to get along with and made a lot of men laugh. Even if Abbey wasn't the worlds best driver, he never failed to give her a compliment. And in the nicest way possible, he'd offer her advice. Which Abbey greatly appreciated.

"Slow corner here, Sarge".

Nodding, Abbey slowed the jeep down.

When they turned, two trucks passed them.

One of the trucks tyres dipped onto a large pothole and Abbey didn't see it but a barrel escaped from the back and fell onto the road.

"Sarge!" Janovec exclaimed, "to the side, Sarge!"

Panicked, she jerked the wheel to the side of the road.

And she avoided the barrel, but the jeep ended up flipping over.

When she realised, they were about to flip, Abbey let go of the wheel and covered her head with her hands. The jeep then landed upside down in a ditch on the side of the road. The worst thing she heard was the jeep slamming against the ground and the glass smashing into pieces. The impact was so great, it felt like she had broken every bone in her body. The only thing that truly hurt was her neck but other than that, she come out of that unscratched.

Abbey was sitting upside down, her neck taking most of her weight.

Her hands were on the ground, pressing against the broken glass.

It took her a few moments to remember that she wasn't alone.

Slowly, she turned her head to the side.

Janovec had a huge dent in his head – it didn't look good.

His helmet must have fallen off when the jeep flipped over.

His skull collided right into the road.

"J-John?" Abbey called, voice shaking. "J-JOHN!"

"Abbey!"

"W-Web!"

Webster face appeared.

He was down on the ground, looking at her.

"I'm 'gonna get you out of here". He promised her, "medics are on their way – it's 'gonna be fine".

Abbey faced the front.

She let out a shaky and tearful sigh.

"Oh, fuck – he's fucking dead". She couldn't believe it.

And neither could Webster.

"Stay calm, Abbey". He told her, voice firm. "Okay? Look at me – Abbey, look at me".

Slowly, her head turned to face him.

Webster tried his best to give her an assuring smile.

"See? It's 'gonna be alright". He said to her, "we're 'gonna get you out of there".

But his comfort went on deaf ears.

It wasn't fair.

The war was over in Europe.

Men shouldn't be dying.


	71. Chapter 70

"I do not require a blanket".

"You were in a damn crash".

"Yes. But I am unharmed".

"We'll see, alright?"

Abbey was sitting in HQ.

In front of her was Speirs, who was on the coffee table, taking out pieces of glass from her hands. For some reason, a blanket was wrapped around her because Abbey couldn't stop shaking and she wasn't cold, Roe put it down to shock and told them to keep her warm.

The room was quiet.

It was Speirs's bedroom. A very large room. With its own sitting area. He even had a balcony, looking out towards the lake. Speirs had come down with the medics to help get Abbey and Janovec out of the jeep. They were both quickly rushed back up into town. She was fine, barely had a scratch on her but Janovec died. He must have died right after the crash. It was the worst feeling in the world to lose a man when the war in Europe had ended.

"Sure you're alright?" Speirs asked.

For what might have been the twentieth time.

And like the other times, Abbey nodded.

"Yes. Fine".

Speirs cleaned and bandaged her hands, before he poured her a glass of brandy.

"This should help with the nerves".

Abbey took the glass, "thank you, sir". She mumbled, "I am not nervous".

Snorting, he sat down next to her on the couch.

"Right". He said quietly, "still 'wanna stick around?"

"What do you mean, sir?"

"You 'wanna remain in the army?"

After taking a sip of brandy, she nodded.

"Yes".

Speirs scratched behind his ear.

"I have enough points".

Eyebrows twitching, she looked at him.

And as bad as it sounded, Abbey didn't want him to leave.

That was bad of her to think that. Speirs had a wife and son back in England. But Abbey felt like he was needed with Easy more than his family needed him. And so, what? She might have been selfish for wanting him to stick around, Abbey couldn't help it.

However, she never told him that.

She didn't say anything.

"Still trying to decide what to do".

Abbey hummed and took another sip.

Speirs sighed, "guess we'll just have to see".

…

Her friends were a little worried about her.

Abbey was quiet.

She'd spend her free time alone. Either walking or playing the piano.

And she hardly spoke with anyone, unless it was something squad related. So, Grant took it upon himself, as Platoon Sargent, to set the picture straight. She couldn't carry on feeling as though she was alone. And, one drizzly night, Grant persuaded her to hop in the jeep and collect a couple of Private's from the crossroad.

The tyres splashed into puddles, which scattered on the road.

They drove down a straight line, passing trees on either side of them.

"What was it, Abbey?"

"Absinthe". She repeated, "Speirs said I had drunk it before".

Grant slowly nodded, "he must mean that magic booze".

"Never heard of it". Abbey mumbled, staring off to the side.

"Me neither".

The Staff Sargent looked over at her.

Frowning a little, Grant clapped her shoulder.

"It'll be alright, Abbey". He murmured, "I mean – it sucks that we lost him".

She nodded, "it does".

Rubbing her lips together, she looked over at Grant.

"Chuck?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you ever drink it again?"

He faced the front again, "magic booze?"

Abbey nodded, "yes – would you drink it again?"

Frowning in thought, the man soon shook his head.

"I don't need that shit, Abbey". He said, "messed me up too much. Especially the next morning".

Snorting out a laugh, she agreed.

That hangover was the strangest and most unpleasant feeling.

Sighing softly, Abbey leaned back against the seat and tried her best to relax.

She hated this fucking road.

And even more so, when Grant suddenly went quiet and slowed the jeep down.

Frowning, Abbey sat up and looked towards the front.

There, she could see two jeeps. Both had their headlights on.

And as they got closer, they could both see two dead bodies on the ground. More importantly, one American trooper standing by a jeep with a gun in his hand. Grant stopped the jeep, the trooper with the gun looked over at them. Slowly, Abbey looked at the Platoon Sargent.

"Wait here, Abbey".

Frowning a little, she gave him a little nod.

Grant exited the jeep.

He walked towards the front of the vehicle.

For a few moments, it was quiet.

Abbey sat there, hand itching towards her rifle.

"Are you okay, Mack?" Grant asked, "do you need some help?"

"Mack" walked away from one of the deserted jeeps.

He was laughing and staggered a bit.

Drunk.

Mack was drunk. Abbey didn't like this one bit.

"They wouldn't give me any gas". He slurred, looking down at the bodies.

Abbey felt a knot form in her stomach.

"Krauts!" Mack yelled.

And she flinched.

Mack turned and walked towards the other vehicle, "I tried to explain…".

Biting her lower lip, Abbey grabbed her rifle.

"This fucking Limey wouldn't listen".

And she felt sick, while quietly getting out of the jeep.

Not only had he killed two Germans, but Mack had shot a British soldier.

"I think he was a Major".

Abbey swallowed – a Major.

She walked towards the front of the jeep.

Grant was a few feet in front of her, while Mack stood there, looking around at what he had done with this large and sickening smile. They had to get that gun out of his hands before he killed someone else.

"Private, we've got a problem here". Grant told him.

And the Sargent sounded calm.

Not nervous or frightened at all.

But Mack wasn't listening to him.

Instead, he looked at Grant and asked, "do you have any gas?"

"Why don't you give me your weapon?"

Mack turned his head towards the vehicle, "well, I guess I'll just use his jeep. I don't think he's 'gonna be needing it".

He started to walk away.

Grant followed after him.

"Hold on a second, alright?"

And Mack turned around and shot his gun.

** Bang! **

The bullet hit Grant, sending him on the ground.

"Fuck!" Abbey yelled, rifle dropping from her hands.

Mack got into that jeep quickly and the engine roared to life.

"Chuck!" She screamed.

Soon, she was on the ground next to him.

His eyes were closed, and blood was pouring out of his head.

Abbey's eyes searched his head frantically, while she tried to work out what the hell she was going to do.

"What do I do…". She whispered.

The jeep sped off down the road.

Abbey shook her head, eyes wide in disbelief.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO I DO?!"

Breathing heavily, Abbey closed her eyes.

There was no time to calm down, but she just had to think of what to do. Abbey was on her own, she couldn't leave Grant because he was still breathing, and Abbey didn't know how that was even possible, but her friend was alive. Her job was to keep him alive. Taking off her jacket, she rolled it up into a ball and placed it by the wound on his head. Very carefully, she rolled Grant's head onto his side, so the jacket would stay right by his wound. With that done, Abbey got onto her feet and ran back towards the jeep. It was a good thing Grant didn't go anywhere without his radio, which channelled right back to 2nd Platoon CP.

_ "CP 2". _

"CP 2, this is Abbey".

Her voice was shaking.

Malarkey, who was on the other side dropped the formalities.

_ "Abbey, what is it?" _

"Malark – Chuck's been shot. We're at the crossroad. Need help to collect us".

_ "Stay there. Sending help now". _

"Received. Abbey, out".

Putting the radio down, Abbey ran right back over to Grant.

She lifted his head again and placed it onto her lap, while keeping her jacket firmly pressed up against his wound. Abbey bit her lip and looked up, staring to the left of her, just waiting for help to arrive. She couldn't move Grant, not on her own. It was too dangerous.

Abbey wasn't sitting on her own for long.

Not even ten minutes later, did Speirs and Foley race towards them.

"Abbey!" Speirs called, while he and Foley ran over with a stretcher.

She had never been so relieved to see that man.

Well, not since Foy.

"The head!" Abbey yelled, "he's still alive!"

The three of them safely got Grant onto a stretcher and raced back into town.

Foley was driving, while Abbey and Speirs stayed by their friend.

In a matter of minutes, they reached town and carried Grant into the quiet aid station. One nurse was on duty, caring for the sick men inside. But Abbey's voice interrupted the quiet and calming atmosphere of the aid station.

"Get the doctor!"

Eyes widening, the nurse quickly ran out of the room to wake the doctor up.

They made themselves at home and gently placed Grant down on a stretcher.

The surgeon quickly came out, cigarette in his mouth and white coat over his scrubby uniform. He made his way towards Grant and quickly looked over him. The nurse hooked Grant up to plasma. Speirs had a hold of Grant's hand, while Abbey stood behind the Captain, staring at her friend with worried and wide eyes.

"Jesus". The surgeon whispered.

"What?" Speirs asked.

"He's got 'gonna make it".

Abbey let out a tiny gasp.

A hand went over her mouth.

Speirs then asked him, "you can't operate on him?"

"Not me". The surgeon replied, "you'd need a brain surgeon. And even if you had one, I don't think there's any hope".

Eyes shining with unleashed tears, Abbey bowed her head.

But Speirs wasn't about to give up.

"Bullshit". He said, before looking over at Foley. "Find the shooter. I want him alive".

Speirs then moved towards the top of the stretcher.

"Sargent – help me".

Blinking, Abbey raised her head and grabbed onto the other end of the stretcher.

"We're 'gonna go find a brain surgeon".

…

Back on the road again, Abbey was on the back of the jeep, holding up the plasma.

Speirs was driving like a mad man.

He had heard of a brain surgeon who lived in Saalfelden.

It was a fifteen-minute drive, but Speirs would get them there in ten.

The rain was getting heavier by the second and Abbey was soaked without her jacket. But of course, it didn't matter. Their only concern was Grant, they had to get him help. When they reached the town, Speirs stopped in front of a large house and jumped out of the jeep.

Abbey remained seated and waited.

It felt like hours had went by.

But it was only a few minutes, before a very startled surgeon wondered over to the jeep held at gunpoint by Speirs.

"If you're going to shoot me, shoot me". The surgeon was German, "if you're not, put that gun away".

Speirs ignored that, "get in the jeep, now".

The surgeon looked behind him.

He stared at Grant.

"What happened to him?"

"He was shot in the head". Abbey replied, in a small voice.

The surgeon began to examine the wound.

"A half hour ago". Speirs added. "Come on…".

"If you want him to live, you'll help me, first by putting that away".

The surgeon was referring to Speirs's gun.

And the Captain complied.

"Come on, let's go".

"Let me drive, we'll get there fast". The German said to him.

And after a few tense moments, Speirs moved to the other side of the jeep, letting the surgeon take the drivers seat.

"How're we doing back there, Sargent?" Speirs asked Abbey, when he got into the jeep.

He looked over at her and noticed how wide-eyed she still looked.

Perhaps a little pale too.

"F-fine". Abbey said, "he'll be okay…right?"

"That's right". Speirs confirmed.

They raced down the road.

Again, it was another quick and fast journey.

As soon as the surgeon pulled up outside the hospital, they all rushed to quickly get Grant inside. The surgeon got a few nurses to roll in a bed and the rest to prep the surgery room. Abbey and Speirs were both willing to head into that surgery room with the doctors, but the surgeon gave his head a shake.

"No – you both stay outside".

…

Sitting outside, Abbey thought back.

Inside HQ, Mack was tied up onto a chair and covered in blood and bruises.

The men of Easy beat the shit out of the replacement from I Company, who had shot their friend. Abbey took one look at the sight in front of her and left the room. When she made it outside, she sat down on the front steps and waited. Abbey had no idea what she was waiting for, she just couldn't face Mack.

It made her feel sick to her stomach.

Biting down on her lip, she rubbed the back of her neck.

Behind her, the door opened and closed again.

Footsteps sounded.

Abbey already knew who it was.

And Speirs walked down the steps and stood still when he reached the bottom. Curiously, she watched him. The Captain brought out a cigarette and lit it up, before looking up towards the sky. It was stopped raining and the clouds were parting, revealing stars underneath.

Rubbing her lips together, she looked down at her hands.

"Is he dead?"

Speirs took in a drag.

"I didn't shoot him". He replied.

Abbey bobbed her head.

That was fine. Mack would just have to suffer with guilt.

Licking her bottom lip, Abbey's eyes moved up.

Speirs's back was still turned to her.

Which was probably for the best, giving what she was about to say.

"I'm a piece of shit".

The man didn't turn around, but he did pull a puzzled face.

Abbey snorted softly, "I am a selfish arsehole, Captain Speirs…but I accept that because a lot of people are selfish arseholes".

A moment of silence went by, while Abbey tried to put more words together.

Just to justify what she was talking about, or where the point was to any of this.

"You have…you have a wife and a son back in England". Abbey mumbled, "which is very nice. Though, sir, I'll never fully understand the meaning of marriage. It does not make sense to me because I have never been in love". She cleared her throat.

That was a little too personal, but Speirs didn't seem to mind.

"You have the points to leave". She said, "and I…".

Abbey heard her voice crack.

"I don't want you to leave".

Speirs stilled.

He wasn't expecting her to say that.

"I'm sorry". She mumbled, "it's not – it's none of my business, sir".

There was another moment of silence.

Abbey felt tears fill her eyes.

It had been a very trying night for them all.

"I feel lost". She croaked, "but you always…you always seem to be there, sir".

Frowning, Speirs dropped his cigarette.

Turning around, he looked at her.

Abbey was rubbing her eyes, with a gentle sniffle.

"You're right, Sargent". Speirs told her softly, "we can all be selfish at times".

Her breathing hitched a little.

"It's none of my business". Abbey mumbled, in a tearful voice.

His eyes softened slightly.

"Well, your opinion has always mattered to me". Speirs said, "why else would I pick you to be my best man, huh?"

Clearing her throat, Abbey ran a hand down her face.

It was up to him.

Speirs didn't have to remain, he could leave.

And Abbey couldn't stop him.

But at least Grant was going to survive.

That's all that mattered at that moment.


	72. Chapter 71

During her free time, Abbey played the piano.

For a few hours, the men inside HQ could work and listen to her playing.

It ranged from Beethoven, to Chopin and to things she randomly made up.

For three hours, she lost herself in music and didn't have to worry about PT, early morning runs, drills or target practice. Though, Abbey was quite enjoying being a squad leader. She liked the squad exercises, house-to-house fighting. It reminded her of being back in America. And her favourite pastime was by far, random inspections. Granted, her squad hated it, but it kept them alert and if something wasn't right, she'd have them cleaning all night.

Abbey would suffer with them.

She'd sit and wait until everything was perfect before sending them all to bed, including herself. Abbey gave them plenty of rewards. She'd come in with a box of booze or bars of chocolate. If they had done a great job during an exercise, Abbey was never short on rewards.

Yesterday was hard.

Abbey needed three hours to play piano.

Malarkey left Easy. Winters sent him to Paris. To an Airborne exhibition.

Saying goodbye to Malarkey was hard.

And she had surprised him with a hug.

"I'll miss you".

Malarkey smiled and held her tight, "you too, Abbey".

So, playing the piano the next day was therapeutic for her.

Easy Company was thinning out.

All the high-point men could leave if they wanted to.

And if they didn't have enough points, Winters would make up excuses. Just so they wouldn't have to endure another war. Such as Malarkey's trip to Paris. Abbey was happy for Malarkey though; he was going home and didn't have to make another jump. He deserved to go home. They all did but Malarkey especially.

When Malarkey left, Abbey took his place as Staff Sargent.

There was a huge difference running an entire Platoon compared to a squad.

But she was next in line for promotion.

Being promoted to Staff Sargent was a big deal but she didn't get overly emotional about it, not like last time. Abbey had a clear head on her shoulders now. She was fairly confident in herself, which was all too new for her. But Abbey had a lot of experience with combat now. She had been a squad leader for a while. And had taken over whenever Toye got injured. Abbey had every right to be confident.

"Abbey, times up".

Her hands left the keys.

Turning around, she gave Winters a soft smile.

"Okay, sir".

…

In the airfield, Abbey walked over to the jeep.

Speirs, Nixon, Lipton and Winters were all there.

Sighing, she looked over her shoulder.

Heffron was shaking his head, while he walked back towards a tent.

Rubbing her lips together, she stood in front of the officers and saluted them.

Standing beside her, was the German General and to her other side, was Liebgott.

Lipton stood before them, while Liebgott wondered over to the jeep.

Abbey gave Lipton a tight smile, "sir".

"Sargent". He responded back.

Smirking, Abbey wondered towards the jeep.

The German General wasn't too keen on surrendering to Private Heffron.

But it looks like Lieutenant Lipton was there to soothe his ruffled feathers.

At first, the General looked towards Winters.

The Major nodded and gestured over to Lipton.

"With your permission". The General said to the Lieutenant, "I'd like to address my men briefly".

"That would be fine, General". Lipton assured him kindly.

Abbey leaned back against the jeep.

"How'd it go?" Nixon asked her quietly.

A tiny smile reached her lips.

"I'm sure Babe will stop sulking tomorrow, sir".

He smirked, while Winters attention moved towards something – or someone else.

Curiously, Abbey followed his gaze.

And she couldn't believe it.

"Captain Sobel".

Sobel looked over at Winters and nodded.

"Major Winters".

And he walked on.

But Winters wasn't done, "Captain Sobel".

Sobel stopped walking.

Abbey could tell he hated it.

"We salute the rank, not the man". Winters said to him.

Her eyes lightened with amusement.

Looking over at Liebgott, a smile spread across her face.

And he found it hard not to laugh.

But she got to witness Sobel salute Winters.

He hated that even more.

Sobel was quick to walk off, while Abbey continued to smile. She looked over at Winters, that stupid grin on her face still. The Major smirked and then faced Nixon. Who hid a laugh and gave his head a shake.

_ What a moment. _

Liebgott stood next to her then, when the General started to talk.

And Winters gestured towards the General, who was speaking with his men.

"Liebgott". He prompted.

Leaning back against the jeep next to Abbey, he translated for them.

"Men, it's been a long war. It's been a tough war".

Leaning deeper next to the jeep, Abbey looked down at the grass, while she listened.

"You've fought bravely, proudly for your country. You are a special ground".

Her lips twitched up into a tiny smile.

"You've found in one another a bond…that exists only in combat".

And Abbey felt her eyes grow wet.

"Among brothers…". Liebgott continued, "who've shared foxholes, held each other in dire moments…who've seen death and suffered together. And I am proud to have served with each and every one of you".

Taking in a tiny breath, Abbey rubbed her eyes.

"You deserve long and happy lives in peace".

Looking up, she saw a wobbly smile reached Liebgott's lips.

Her hand took his.

Liebgott gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

With the surrender done with, Lipton returned to the jeep.

Abbey looked at Liebgott and let go of his hand.

"I'll take over". She told him, "you go up, get some rest".

Smiling, Liebgott clapped her shoulder.

"See you back at the house, Abbey".

Taking a step away from the jeep, she watched Liebgott climb into the back with Lipton. Giving the officers another salute, they soon drove away from the airfield and back onto the main road. And with the jeep out of the way, she saw Speirs standing there, smoking a cigarette. Just like he usually would be doing.

Hands going into her pockets, Abbey walked over to him.

A smirk reached his lips, "your hands ain't useful in there, Sargent".

A tiny huff of laughter left her.

"I never learn my lesson, sir".

Without prompting anything, Speirs then told her;

"I've decided to stay with Easy".

Her eyes lightened.

Abbey nodded, "that's…that's a good idea, sir".

"Yeah…how're you finding your current position?"

And Speirs quickly changed the subject.

Which wasn't too surprising.

Abbey shrugged, "fine". She mumbled, "it's…it's going well".

"You've been Platoon Sargent for a good few weeks now". He went on, "but unfortunately, someone has to take your spot".

She wasn't hurt, or sad.

Abbey was just confused.

"Sir?" She asked, clearly sounding puzzled.

He took a drag from his cigarette, "Talbert demoted himself".

"What-"

"and 2nd Platoon needs a new Platoon Sargent". Speirs said to her.

Abbey tilted her head to the side, eyebrows pulling together.

The Captain rolled his eyes, "Jesus Christ – I'm promoting you. To 1st Sargent".

Nodding slowly, Abbey looked towards the field again.

The Germans were still standing before their General.

_ 1st Sargent;_ she thought.

Abbey wasn't expecting that promotion. But then again, she wanted to remain in the army. So, the title was good for her. And she never asked why Speirs picked her. Maybe he just liked her enough to recommend giving her the spot of 1st Sargent. They did get along well.

Or, it could have been that the Toccoa men would be leaving shortly.

Either way, only Webster was sticking around.

At least she still had Heffron and Eddie Joint.

And of course, Speirs.

Turning back around, he handed her the 1st Sargent patch.

Smiling small, Abbey took it.

"Thank you, sir".

"Yeah – you're welcome, Abbey".

…

In the middle of July, the high-point men were preparing to leave.

Which meant, of course, Abbey would have to let them go.

She was dreading it.

But it had to be done.

Most of the Toccoa men had already left, they had enough points to leave.

Liebgott was standing by the truck, which was taking the men to Berchtesgaden. They'd attach themselves to the 501st, who were soon to be inactive. And from there, it was back to America for discharge. They were happy to be going home, they had survived. But some were nervous;

_How am I going to explain all of this?_

Rubbing her lips together, Abbey walked over to Liebgott.

Clearing her throat, she rubbed her hands together.

"So…".

Liebgott snorted, "right".

Sighing, Abbey's finger pressed against the side of the truck.

"It's been-"

"thanks for-"

They both spoke at the same time.

Looking at each other, the pair of them chuckled softly.

But the laughter only lasted a few seconds, before their faces turned serious.

It felt like something was squeezing her chest.

She really didn't want to do this.

And neither did he.

But to save the tears, Liebgott quickly pulled her into one last hug.

Exhaling, her arms went around him.

She closed her eyes, while a few tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Love you too, you know". Abbey croaked.

Liebgott let out a choked little laugh.

"Me too, Abbey".

A kiss was pressed against the side of her head.

And the hug ended.

Liebgott gave her a firm nod, before he climbed onto the truck with the rest.

Wiping her tears away, Abbey took a step back.

She looked up, watching while some of the men waved and smiled at her.

"See you back at the States, Abbey!" Popeye called, "we'll sure miss you!"

Abbey smiled again.

"Bye".

The trucks started to roll out.

Abbey watched her friends leave the courtyard. Behind her, Heffron, Webster, Eddie Joint and the rest of the replacements watched them all leave. And soon, all the trucks disappeared, and Abbey could no longer see her friends. Frowning, she looked down at the ground and took in a few deep breaths, trying to compose herself.

_ What next? _

…

At the end of July, the Division was transferred by 40's and 8's to France.

Easy Company were sent to barracks in Joigny.

And it was back to training and garrison duty.

However, when they got there, men were given furloughs.

Most of the men went to England. Heffron even managed to get into London with Eddie and Ralph for ten days. And of course, Abbey went to Aldbourne with a few of the officers. They spent fourteen days in England. Fourteen wonderful days. But it was hard as well, for Abbey. She had to pass their old barracks, which brought back memories.

Mostly good memories.

But faces she missed.

And faces she'd never see again.

Biting her lower lip, which quivered, Abbey sat down and leaned against the fence.

Behind her, were their old stable barracks.

And she sat there for hours, remembering all the memories she had with her friends inside those barracks. Though, the trip back to England wasn't all sad, Abbey felt that it was good to sit down and miss them, just for a few hours.

"She ain't going for it".

Swallowing back the lump in her throat, Abbey looked up.

Speirs sighed and sat down next to her.

"I think she wants to stay in England – we had an argument".

Frowning, Abbey looked down towards her knees.

"Told her about the Pacific…she wasn't happy about that either". Speirs continued to tell her. And Abbey listened. Though, her chest still hurt from being back in Aldbourne. "So, guess I'll just have to wait and see, huh?"

Biting back down on her lip, Abbey bobbed her head.

"Anyway". He mumbled, "what the hell are you doing, 1st Sargent?"

Her lip trembled again.

And she felt her eyes sting.

"I miss them". She choked out, while a tear rolled down her cheek.

Speirs felt something tug at his heart.

And he looked at her, with a deep frown.

Sighing sadly, he nodded and wrapped his arm around her.

"Yeah". Speirs mumbled, "that's alright".

Abbey leaned into his side.

Her face crumbled, when a soft sob was pulled out of her mouth.

Holding her tighter, Speirs began to rub her arm.

"Well". He said softly, "least you're still stuck with me, huh?"

Abbey let out a tiny laugh, which sounded more like a sob.

Nodding, she hummed in agreement.

_ Yes, that wasn't so bad at all;_ she thought to herself.


	73. Chapter 72

"…wake up, 0600 hours. Six-mile run followed by our usual. I 'wanna focus more on squad problems tomorrow. Those damn new Sargent's could use the experience. Ah…what's after that?"

"Breakfast". Abbey mumbled, "in fact, you're better putting breakfast before the squad problems". She then said to him. "But you know, that's just my opinion, sir".

Speirs snorted, "don't be a wiseass, Sargent".

"Me?" Abbey faked surprise, "I am never that insult, sir".

Sighing, he started walking again.

She followed close behind.

"Okay. After PT, breakfast – then squad problems". He said, "and make sure the men are all equipped for target practice in the afternoon. We'll call it, 1400 hours".

Abbey was jotting all of this down.

And when Speirs suddenly stopped, she bumped into his back.

Sighing, she took a step back.

"You do that a lot, sir".

He smirked, "very sorry, 1st Sargent".

"It's okay". Abbey mumbled, "I know you are not".

Training resumed in France.

Every day was the same and Speirs made sure the Company was up to scratch for a drop. Abbey let some of the Holland veterans off lightly and Webster, who had been around since Normandy. But he just wasn't in Easy until their jump into Holland. It was good having familiar faces around her still and Abbey had been moved into CP, which was one of the nicer barracks. But things were a lot different now, without her Toccoa friends.

She missed them every day.

Luckily, Speirs kept her pretty busy.

Abbey did a very good job as 1st Sargent and made the Captain's life a lot easier. She enjoyed the added responsibility as well. Now that she was twenty-one, Abbey felt mature enough to handle the added pressure. She was one of the most experienced NCO's in Easy at the moment.

The hardest part was getting the men enthusiastic about training.

Abbey couldn't get the men mentally ready for another war. All she could do was get them up and running. Though, she did spend a lot of time assuring them that one day, they'd get back home again. Even if she didn't believe that, it was good to tell the boys that everything would be okay, and wars didn't last forever.

"You should have left, Abbey".

"No". She mumbled, shaking her head. "I could not leave my friends behind".

Heffron smiled small, "I would have left".

"Good". Abbey said, "I hope you would have. Your family must miss you a lot, Babe".

"I want you to meet them". He said to her, "I think you'd like Philly".

She smiled, "I'm I will like Philly, Babe".

Just spending an hour talking about home with the men, that lifted their spirits again. They were all eager and anxious to get home, Abbey didn't blame them, she wanted them home as well. It had been a long time, since they last saw America.

…

On August 6th, an automatic bomb was dropped into Hiroshima.

Soon after, the Japanese surrendered.

It ended the entire war.

…

"This is utter shit".

"You're telling me".

Abbey stuck that letter on the bulletin board with a lot of anger and force.

Speirs just watched her, slightly amused.

"Will you do it?" He asked.

"Yes". She hissed, "I'd rather stay on the jump pay".

"Good". Speirs nodded, "I'll do it too".

If they wanted to stay on the jump pay, they had to make one more jump.

Abbey was doing it because she wasn't about to let the army get the better of her. And she expected everyone to do the same. She made sure of that. Abbey walked into all the barracks and informed the men of what was going on. Like she thought, a lot of the men were pissed off that the army could be that lousy.

"You all better do it!" Abbey told them, "I expect to see each and every one of you jumping from those planes – okay?!"

"Yes, 1st Sargent!"

She gave the men inside barrack a firm nod, "good".

Abbey turned around and left.

Speirs was smirking outside the barrack, while he waited for her.

"Good inspirational speech, Sargent".

"You would do the same, sir". Abbey mumbled.

She walked into the other barrack, which held her old squad.

Abbey walked inside and saw Heffron, Webster, Eddie Stein, Dick Davenport and Ralph sitting there, playing Jew Pinochle. When the barrack door closed, their heads looked up.

"We're jumping".

Their faces dropped.

"But…but it's over". Eddie whispered.

Abbey shook her head, "not that – we have to make one more jump, in order to keep our jump pay".

After a few moments of silence, the men started to exclaim.

Just as she thought, they weren't happy about it.

"You are all jumping". She told them firmly, "if I don't see you, then I will drag you out of your bed and onto that fucking plane".

Heffron grinned, "I'm only doing it, cause I love jumping".

"Good". Abbey said, then nodded at Ralph. "You?"

He looked hesitant.

"I don't know, Abbey…I mean, the wars over, huh? What if something happens?"

"You'll be fine". She waved his worries off, "we've done it plenty of times, you can do it one more time. Let's end this, how we started it. By jumping out of perfectly good planes".

"I'm with you, Abbey". Webster said with a wide smile, "let's shows those assholes".

She pointed at him, "that's the spirit". Abbey said, "tomorrow, we'll do it. Outside, 0900 hours, Captain Speirs will be waiting for us in the assembly area".

The last jump Abbey ever made with her friends happened the next morning.

The skies were clear, the sun was up, and the plane reached to two-thousand feet.

Abbey was the first to leave the plane. Once that red light went on, they all checked over their equipment and sounded off. Facing the light again, it turned green. Giving the men inside the stick one last smile, she lunged out into the sky.

It was the best feeling in the world.

Abbey loved to jump.

…

Then came the night before.

Tomorrow, they'd get on a troop ship and head home.

Abbey had said her goodbyes to Heffron, Webster, Eddie, Dick and Ralph.

But there was one more person she wanted to wish all the best to.

Major Winters.

Walking inside the house, she knocked on the man's office door.

"Come in".

Taking in a deep breath, Abbey opened the door and stepped inside.

Winters looked up from his desk and soon smiled.

"Abbey". He greeted kindly, getting onto his feet. "You got everything ready?"

She gave him a little nod.

"I do, sir". Abbey told him quietly.

He stood in front of her and tilted his head to the side.

Winters was still smiling.

"I'm very happy you stuck around, Abbey". He said to her, "you've made me very proud. You make a fantastic 1st Sargent".

She was proud of him too.

And like always, she admired Winters so much.

There was so much Abbey wanted to say to him. She wanted to thank him for everything. For getting her through the war, for being her rock and for giving her a chance. They couldn't have done it without Winters. He was a great leader and such a respected man. Abbey was truly lucky to have known him. To have followed him.

"So, what's next for Abbey Harrison?"

Sighing quietly, she shook her head.

"I will see Joe Toye in the hospital". Abbey said to him quietly, "and then…I will see what happens next".

Smiling, Winters held out his hand.

"It's been an honour fighting by your side, Abbey".

Her eyes looked up, meeting his.

So much she wanted to tell him.

Pursing her lips together, Abbey took in a deep breath.

And then, she wrapped her arms around his waist.

Her face pressed up against his chest.

Winters smiled, while his arms went around her.

He'd miss her as well.

"Thank you, sir". Abbey choked out, "for everything".

_ Every last thing. _

…

The next day, Abbey was packing up the trucks.

She was leaving France, with a handful of other men.

Speirs wasn't one of them, unfortunately.

Abbey thought he might have been, but the man was to stay until December.

But he had been kind enough to walk her over to the trucks that morning.

"My address".

A slip of paper was set in her hand.

Abbey looked down at the messy handwriting.

A small smile reached her lips, when she looked back at him.

"Thank you, sir".

"Come by to Aldbourne anytime". Speirs said to her, "I'll still be trying to convince my wife to leave England and move back to the States".

She let out a tiny huff of laughter.

"Well, I hope it all works out for you, sir".

A serious look crossed his eyes, "you too…Abbey".

Looking over his shoulder, Abbey saw Winters and Nixon standing there.

Biting down on her lip, she looked at her hands.

"I am…afraid".

Speirs frowned a little.

Abbey swallowed back the tightness in her throat.

"It's…very sad". She whispered.

His eyes softened.

Letting out a long sigh, Speirs pulled her into a hug.

Abbey hugged him back, very tightly.

"It's not the end, Abbey". He told her softly, "this chapter has ended but a new one, will start".

A few tears rolled down her face.

"Thank you for…for staying".

Speirs smiled again, "okay".

And she smiled.

Abbey pulled back from the hug and quickly wiped her face.

Rubbing her lips together, she gave him a nod.

Before straightening herself up and saluting the officers present.

Winters, Nixon and Speirs saluted her back.

And when it ended, she picked up her bag and jumped onto the truck.

_ "…things get better". _

Abbey looked back over at Speirs, Winters and Nixon.

A smile reached her lips.

_ "Did they for you?" _

Raising her hand, she gave them a wave.

When they waved back, Abbey's smile widened.

_ "They did when I arrived in Toccoa". _


	74. Chapter 73

_"Captain Speirs, _

_ I made it. The weather was terrible, everyone was sick for ten days straight and we weren't allowed up on the deck but we're alive and well. When we docked at Pier three in New York, it was raining but it felt so good to see the sky again. I spent a few hours inside a building, where the Red Cross girls gave us all coffee and doughnuts. I did not take the doughnut, I still felt very sick and it took a while for the earth to stop swaying back and forth. _

_ I hope December comes quick for you and the men. I bet you can't wait to see your wife and son again, I'm sure they miss you a lot. Is everything going okay? I wanted to stay until December, but I think Major Winters just wanted me to get back to normality or something. _

_ Sir, it's very strange being back. I'm not sure if I like it yet. But it could just be the nerves. Currently, I am on a train and heading to Atlantic City Boardwalk. It's time I pay a visit to my squad leader. I promised him I would see him as soon as the war ended, and I promised myself the same thing. But I feel worried, I don't want things to change between us. Hadden Hall, that's the name of the hospital he is at. And Joe has no idea I am coming to see him. Which increases my nerves. _

_ I still feel sick. After the ship, I went straight on a train. I hope I do not get sick in front of all these people. That would be highly embarrassing. Besides, I am still in my Class A's, they would feel pretty disgusted if I did something like that. _

_ Before I close this letter, I must thank you again, sir. Peter Pan came in handy, I read it while we were locked down in the belly of the ship. It offered me a good distraction when my head wasn't in a bucket. And I apologize if that was too much information. Well, I do not feel very sorry. So, sorry for that part, sir. _

_ Anyway, sir, I will close this for now. _

_ Have a safe trip home. _

_ -Abbey". _

Folding the letter inside an envelope, she jotted down the hospital address before sealing the envelope up. After tucking it neatly into her jacket pocket, Abbey looked out of the window and watched rain rush down the glass. The people around her kept mostly to themselves. A number of men coming home from the war were boarded on this train. In the seats opposite her, a Private was kissing his sweetheart passionately. Every now and then, Abbey's eyes would flicker towards the young couple.

She wondered if she'd ever find the love of her life.

Not that Abbey thought about it that much.

Clearing her throat, she blinked and looked away from the couple.

The young woman caught her staring again.

Abbey was sure that woman glared at her. A train wasn't the best place to cause a scene. Her eyes would remain focused on that window for the duration of her journey. It didn't offer her much of a distraction. There was nothing to see beyond the rushing rain and her nerves kept on pounding through her body. Abbey had every right to feel nervous, she hadn't seen Toye since the forest. And this journey felt far too long.

Abbey tried to work out what she was going to say.

A greeting, that would be most appropriate.

But Abbey wasn't sure if a simple; "hello", would suite the mood.

This was Joe Toye, not some friend she hadn't see for a while. Toye meant more to her than a simple "hello". She missed him, every second of the day. And he needed to know that.

A random puff of smoke blew in her face.

Nose twitching, Abbey waved it away from her face.

"Sorry".

Eyes stinging a little, she looked up and saw a man standing there. He wasn't in uniform, but he wore a lovely pressed suit. Abbey wasn't overly bothered by the cigarette smoke; she was used to it. Practically all of her friends smoked. But at least he was kind enough to apologize. And to accept his apology, Abbey simply gave her head a shake.

"It's fine". She mumbled, "I am used to it".

"Oh, so you don't smoke?" He wondered, "I thought everyone in the army did".

"Everyone except me".

He chuckled lightly at that, "well…do you mind if I take the seat next to you?"

Biting her lower lip, Abbey picked up her bag and moved it off the seat and onto the floor. The young man smiled and sat himself down beside her. Abbey got a waft of his cologne. It smelt fresh, like a lovely sunny day. If the Holland drop had a smell, his cologne came to mind.

"Little different". He commented, "I wasn't expecting a woman to be in the army".

"I am not". Abbey mumbled.

"Well…you were". He pointed out, "you just got back?"

She nodded.

"Must be nice, huh?" He said lightly, "you got family here?"

"Loads". Abbey said quietly.

"Yeah? Where about?"

"Everywhere".

He huffed, "you don't like to share much, do you?"

Abbey turned and faced this man.

He had dark hair and bright blue eyes.

"What do you do?" She asked.

Not that she was very interested, Abbey just didn't want to talk about herself.

"I'm a high school teacher". He told her, "actually, it's my first day tomorrow".

"Are you nervous?"

He smiled a little, "well, not really". He said, "I teach music. I kind of like that".

"Music is fine". Abbey commented softly.

"Music changes throughout the years". He added, "I'm happy to be apart of it".

Turning her head to face the window again, Abbey watched the rain.

The man beside her placed a bag onto his lap and opened it up. She could hear paper ruffling together, while he searched for something. Curiously, Abbey turned to look at what he was doing, or looking for.

"Ah – here it is". The man mumbled.

Abbey faced the window again.

"I thought I left this behind…".

He continued to say, trying to drag her curiosity further.

The man even looked at her briefly, just to see if Abbey was interested. But she continued to look out of the window, eyes following the rain. Looking back towards what was in his hand, he cleared his throat loudly.

Abbey closed her eyes and took in a tiny breath.

Exhaling with a sigh, she opened her eyes.

"What's that?" She asked him flatly.

The man smiled, "oh, you 'wanna know?"

_ Not really. _

"Yes". Abbey mumbled, "I am very interested to find out".

"It's my latest composition". He told her, "I'm hoping my class will learn it".

Scratching behind her ear, Abbey looked down at his composition.

"Yes. The piano part looks easy".

His eyebrows twitched together, "excuse me?"

"It looks easy". She repeated, "incredibly so. I think you could have tried harder".

He didn't know whether to laugh or take offensive.

"Well, at least you're honest". He murmured.

"It's one of my worst qualities". Abbey told him, "my friends still dislike my honesty".

"I can't imagine why".

"You do not know me". She told him, "I don't even know why you decided to sit next to me".

He shrugged, "it's a busy train".

"You are lying". Abbey told him, "I see many empty seats".

The man sighed, "boy…you're a pistol, huh?"

She frowned, "I am not a gun – what do you want?"

"What? A guy can't talk to a pretty girl?"

Abbey's eyebrow raised.

She stared at him for a few moments.

And then laughed quietly.

"What?" Abbey asked, with a grin.

"I gave you a compliment…".

"That is not a compliment". She said to him, "you complimented my face. I see my face every day".

He raised both eyebrows, "what the hell is your problem?"

Abbey shook her head.

"I do not have one". She said, "perhaps you are not used to rejection".

"Oh, so you're rejecting me?"

"I reject the compliment". Abbey said, "I did not want you to give me one".

He huffed, "Jesus…I was just trying to be nice-"

"no, you were trying to show off". She gestured towards his composition.

"You know, when someone gives you a compliment, you're meant to tell them thank you". He said, "it's just being polite – which you seem to lack".

"Yes. I am not polite at all". Abbey agreed, "I am a bitch".

He huffed out a tiny laugh, "well, glad you could agree on that one".

The man then added.

"You know, just cause you fought in the war, it doesn't give you the right to be an asshole".

"I am an asshole all of the time". Abbey pointed out, "I do not act kind and then later become an asshole when rejected".

Shaking his head, the man packed away his composition.

"You know". He snapped, "I think I'll sit somewhere else".

Abbey nodded and turned to face the window again.

"Yes. Okay". She mumbled.

He couldn't believe it, "what? You ain't even sorry?"

Abbey remained silent.

Huffing, he got up.

"Yeah – see you".

The journey didn't get off to the best start. It all started with crossing the Atlantic, when the waves were too fierce, and everyone got sick. Then, when they landed, it was raining. And then, came that music teacher. Abbey wasn't used to it, men giving her attention when it came to her face, or whatever. She didn't like it, not from him anyway. It didn't mean anything to her. And he seemed like a right show off. Not her cup of tea at all. The way Abbey saw it, she didn't have to talk if she didn't want to. She wasn't ordered to talk with that man. And she wasn't ordered to be polite towards him.

It was his fault for trying to get involved with Abbey.

"He's not a music teacher".

A new voice said.

A female voice.

Abbey looked up and saw a woman standing there, leaning against the empty seat. She looked a few years older than Abbey. She was tall, slim and had long blonde hair. Very pretty. She could have been a model. She might have been a movie star; Abbey wouldn't have known.

"He borrowed that suite from his dad". She went on, "he makes up things to impress girls".

Frowning a little, Abbey thought that was a little sad.

The woman rolled her eyes, "God, don't feel sorry for him – please. I've known him since I was a kid. Our dads work together in the hospital. And believe me, that man has been annoying me since I hit puberty".

Abbey's nose twitched.

_ What an odd thing to say;_ she thought.

Smiling, the woman extended her hand, "I'm Mary".

Abbey gave Mary's hand a shake.

"Abbey-"

"oh, you're a Limey". Mary enthused, "that's interesting".

"I suppose". She mumbled.

The woman sat herself down next to Abbey.

"So…you just got back?" Mary asked, and Abbey nodded. "How was the trip over?"

Licking her bottom lip, she shrugged.

"Horrible". Abbey responded quietly, "eh – we were all very sick".

Mary frowned, "I'm sorry to hear that…do you feel better?"

She nodded, "yes – I am not harmed".

Her eyes lightened when she smiled, "oh, that's good, Abbey".

Abbey's lips twitched, "yes…I suppose so".

"So, where you headed?"

"Atlantic City". Abbey told her, "I'm visiting my friend".

"I'm from New Jersey". Mary said to her, "just got back from a trip with my 'gals in the city".

"Oh…that's nice". She mumbled, "did you get as drunk as sixteen skunks?"

Staring at her for a few moments, Mary then laughed.

"What?"

Abbey's eyebrows twitched, "you did not get drunk as skunks?"

She continued to laugh, "no! We went shopping…my friends getting married soon, we had to get the bridesmaids dresses".

"Oh…". She mumbled, staring at her hands.

"They're so pretty". Mary gushed, "purple…just this pretty shade of purple. And my friend let us see her wedding dress – it's to die for!"

Abbey's eyes widened a little.

She looked up at Mary.

"Is it really that important?" She asked, voice serious.

Mary's laugh ended, "uh – it's just a saying, Abbey. A dress ain't worth dying for".

"Oh, good". Abbey mumbled, sounding a little relieved.

It was slightly uncomfortable.

Abbey wasn't sure what to say to this woman. Mary seemed nice enough, she seemed like a very outgoing and fun person to be around. Problem was, Abbey didn't know how to act around a person like Mary.

Mary talked about her friend's wedding.

She talked about flowers, dresses and the venue.

Things Abbey thought she should have been interested in.

But never in her life, had she ever had a conversation about two shades of pink, that in depth before. At least Mary kept her busy. Abbey no longer felt nervous; she was now trying to work out what a garter was. Apparently, it went around the bride's leg.

_ Maybe it was a bandage? _

Abbey didn't know but Mary stopped talking about the garter.

"I'm hoping to get married soon". Mary told her, "I'm just waiting until he asks me".

"What is he like?" Abbey asked.

And another smile brightened her face, "tall, handsome…perfect. He's so caring towards me and protective. He treats me so well. He's my knight in shining armor".

Abbey's lips twitched.

He sounded nice.

Mary let out an adoring sigh, "I'm on my way to see him now. He was worried about my trip with the gals, but I assured him, he's the only man for me".

Abbey smiled again, "he will be happy to see you safe then".

"Yeah, he will". She beamed, "I bought him some candy. He never asks for anything, but I love to treat him when I can". Mary said, "I sneak in whiskey from time to time. The nurses don't like it but heck – he deserves it".

And her smile slowly went away.

Abbey frowned, "nurses?"

Mary's face turned serious, "yeah…he's in the hospital. They don't think he'll be out until next year".

"Oh". She mumbled, "that's…very sad".

"It is, Abbey". Mary agreed quietly, "but I'll make his life swell. I promised him that. We'll have lots of children and we'll be happy every day. I'll always look after him".

"My friends in hospital". Abbey said to her softly, "two of my friends are. But I'm not sure where the other one is".

"I'm sure you'll find him". Mary told her with a soft smile, "they must be pretty special, huh?"

She nodded, while looking down at her hands.

"Yes. They are". Abbey murmured softly, "it was…it was hard when…".

Mary's hand grabbed Abbey's, "you don't have to talk about it, Abbey".

Swallowing thickly, Abbey nodded.

"Thank you". She whispered.

Smiling a little sadly, Mary squeezed her hand.

The train slowed down.

Abbey looked out of the window and saw it pull up next to a station.

She was here.

Mary got onto her feet; Abbey followed after her.

Reaching down, she grabbed her bag and headed towards the carriage door. When she stepped out onto the platform, a puff of smoke came out from the front of the train, almost blinding her. It reminded Abbey of shells, after they exploded, and they couldn't see anything from the thick and blinding smoke. And for a moment, she stood there, while her heart started to beat quick and hard against her chest.

The smoke cleared and she was standing alone.

Taking in a deep breath, Abbey walked out of the station.

In a matter of seconds, she was inside a taxi.

The train station wasn't huge, not like the one in New York. There wasn't even a que for the taxis, it was a pretty quiet station at that time of day. And Abbey had only just checked her watch when she got inside the taxi.

1500 hours.

Right on time.

"Where to?"

"Haddon Hall hospital, please".

No turning back now.

Abbey was going to see her squad leader.


	75. Chapter 74

It was like her first day at Toccoa again.

She was lost and had no idea where to go.

When Abbey stepped foot into the hospital, she was almost whisked away by a stretcher and a few doctors and nurses. Haddon Hospital was proving to be a very busy place. And all she wanted to do was visit her friend.

In the small sitting area, she could see many family members.

Some were crying, while others were trying to keep their young children entertained. Abbey was glad she had done this alone. She couldn't imagine visiting Toye with a group of friends. There was so much she wanted to tell Toye. Stuff she didn't get a chance to say before he left the woods. And Abbey tried to put words together, while she walked towards the reception desk.

When Abbey reached the desk, she didn't say anything right away.

Which annoyed the receptionist behind the desk.

"Can I help you?"

Blinking, Abbey looked at her.

"Where's my squad leader?"

The woman pulled a face, "excuse me?"

Abbey gave her head a shake, "eh – Joe Toye?"

"Are you a family member?"

"He's my squad leader". She mumbled, "yes. We are".

Sighing heavily, the woman looked through some sheets of paper, shaking her head all the while grumbling under her breath. Abbey didn't understand why she was so irritated. Toye and Abbey were family. Closer than family. And he deserved all the visitors.

"You can stay for ten minutes". She told her, "that's all".

_ Ten minutes? _

Abbey tried not to let her disappointed show.

Ten minutes was better than nothing.

And she nodded, accepting those terms.

"Up the stairs, fifth door on the left".

…

_ "Had to quit school. Football coaches were drooling over me, but I couldn't play. I never learned to write. Never learned to talk good like you guys can with big words and stuff…". _

_ Toye trailed off and took another drink from his beer._

_ He sighed, placing the glass back down. _

_ "That's it". _

_ Abbey leaned forwards, her hand going on top of his. _

_ She looked at him. _

_ "No". Abbey whispered, "you are not a coal miner. You are my squad leader and my friend". _

…

Her hand was on the handle.

Inside, Toye was there.

She couldn't even look through the small window on the door to check.

But Abbey knew he was here.

Her hand left the handle.

_ I can't do it. _

Biting her lower lip, Abbey took a step back from the door.

Her back pressed up against the wall opposite.

_ He would do it, if I was in there. _

Sighing shakily, Abbey pushed herself off the wall.

Her hand went back onto the handle and she pulled it down.

The door unclicked and opened.

At first, Abbey peaked inside the room.

Just her head, to see what the room was like.

The window was open, the curtains were moving from a small breeze. It was cold inside the room. Too cold. Abbey fully stepped inside; the door gently closed behind her. And then, her eyes moved towards the bed.

_ Joe…_

He was lying there, with his eyes closed.

A blanket was pulled up towards his chest. And his head leaned against four pillows. He looked very comfortable and peaceful, while he slept as still as a log. His chest was moving up and down, in deep and soothing breaths. It was enough to calm her nerves. Abbey hadn't seen him look that peaceful since the journey into Normandy, when they were given those anti- airsickness tablets.

Abbey walked quietly towards his bed.

Standing at his side, she wasn't sure what to do next.

She wasn't about to wake him up.

Toye didn't like being woken up.

Biting her lip, Abbey placed her hand into his instead.

Toye made a tiny noise.

She didn't mean to waken him.

Grimacing a little, she tried to pull her hand away but Toye's hold tightened.

"That ain't you…".

It felt like something had a hold of her heart.

Abbey rubbed her lips together, squeezing his hand.

Slowly, one of his eyes opened.

His familiar brown eyes.

She smiled a little.

Toye opened both of his eyes.

He couldn't believe it.

"…Abbey?" Toye whispered. "What the fuck-"

"hello".

She then sighed.

"Shit – I was not supposed to greet you with a-"

"I can't believe you're here". Toye was smiling then, which Abbey was glad to see. "Man, you weren't kidding around, huh? You actually fucking came".

"Well, I promised you". Abbey mumbled, "I would not break that".

He chuckled, "you ain't changed a bit, Abbey".

"I had no time to change". She told him, "I just arrived today".

Toye raised an eyebrow, "you did, huh?"

Abbey nodded, "yes. The journey was horrible, but I made it".

Shaking his head, he smiled again.

"I can't believe you're here, Abbey". He said softly, "I missed you".

Her eyes softened, "I missed you…I hope it's not too boring here".

"I keep myself entertained". Toye assured her, "don't worry about me".

"But you are-"

"what's this?"

His hand moved from her hand; he touched the side of her arm.

"1st Sargent?" Toye asked quietly, "that's…that's great, Abbey. Jesus".

She shook her head, "I don't want to talk about that. I want to know about you".

Abbey sat down on the edge of his bed.

"Alright…they took off my right leg above the knee. I had two more operations to remove the shrapnel from my upper chest cavity…they had to go through my back to get 'um".

It didn't sound pleasant, not at all.

It must have been traumatic.

But despite all that, Toye seemed to be in good spirits.

Abbey shuddered and looked towards the open window.

"Do you like the cold?"

"It ain't that cold". Toye said, with a thoughtful expression.

Frowning, she looked back at him.

Abbey thought about it too.

Bastogne.

And that terrible snow.

It felt like winter would ever end in the woods. But it was winter again, November. Early on in the month but enough to feel the cold weather. Abbey didn't have good winter clothing; she just had her Class A uniform to keep her warm.

"Hey – where you staying?" Toye asked, "you got a buddy here?"

"I'm okay, Joe". She assured him, "I have a place".

Abbey then looked at her watch.

Ten minutes were almost up.

That broke her heart a little.

_ Why only ten? _

Toye cleared his throat, "visiting times is twelve till three". He then added, "family can stay for longer. Did you try and pull that one over them?"

Abbey thought back to it.

She could have tried harder.

"I was terrible". She mumbled, "I will be here tomorrow at twelve".

"Alright, Abbey". He said, "I'll have a surprise for you tomorrow".

Abbey pulled a confused face, "in the hospital?"

Toye laughed quietly, "yeah, right in the hospital".

Behind her, the door opened.

Abbey turned around and saw a nurse standing there, with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry to break this up…but, I'm letting family in soon".

Sighing quietly, she turned back to Toye.

He gave her a tiny smile, "tomorrow, 1200 hours. Don't be late".

Smiling back, Abbey nodded.

"See you then, Joe".

…

It was an idiotic thing.

The weather wasn't forgiving, and she didn't have warm clothes. But Abbey didn't know anyone in Atlantic City. And she couldn't spend all her money on a place to spend the night. Abbey needed to keep that money for travel. And of course, food. But even then, she didn't have a lot to spend on food.

The bus shelter would do.

It sat right outside the hospital.

And she had a roof to cover her from the rain.

Until Abbey could figure out what to do next, the bus shelter would have to do. Besides, Abbey only came to Atlantic City for Toye. She sat in the corner of the bus shelter, staring out towards the busy road. Abbey could see the ocean from her current position, at least she had a decent view, even if it was raining and miserable.

But Abbey felt happy.

She saw her squad leader.

Her best friend.

And tomorrow, she'd see him again.

After one hour of sitting and doing nothing, her stomach started to growl.

Grabbing her bag, Abbey got up and went to search of food.

…

"Here you go".

"Thank you".

Abbey was sitting at a table in a small café.

In front of her was a large drink of orange juice and a cheese sandwich.

Simple but it's the only thing she liked the sound of on the menu.

Abbey ate the sandwich one small bite at a time. The café was decent enough. With white walls full of pictures. It was a small place, with only six tables. And most of them were empty. Abbey wasn't concerned about how quiet or full this place was, she was enjoying her first decent meal in over ten days.

"Coffee?"

Looking up, she saw the waitress come over with a pot of coffee.

Abbey gave her head a shake.

She had to be careful with money.

The waitress smiled, "it's on the house, hon".

"Free?" Abbey mumbled.

She continued to smile.

And soon, the waitress poured the hot coffee into a cup on the table.

"Yup – next ones free as well".

"Oh, that's very kind". Abbey whispered softly.

"You here for a visit?"

"Yes. I will visit my friend tomorrow at twelve until three".

The waitress pulled an impressed face, "that's great, hon".

"Yes". Abbey agreed, "it is very good to see my squad leader again".

She smiled, "well, he's lucky to have you hon".

"I am luckier".

"You got a place to stay?" The waitress asked, "I know a good motel".

Abbey thought about it.

She could probably afford one night.

And it was raining outside.

"Yes, thank you".

"Well. It's just down the road". She told her, "right next door to the beach bar. The motel ain't much but it's cheap, if you're looking to save some cash".

It sounded perfect for Abbey.

"Thank you". She told her again.

The waitress smile, "enjoy your meal, hon".

When she left her, Abbey picked up her sandwich again and took another bite.

She could hear an elder couple talking in the corner of the café, talking about the weather. And outside, she could see people running past the window, trying to reach their homes or shelter from the rain. It was nice being inside for a change. Abbey remembered many of times where she and Easy would be outside in the terrible weather, fighting off the enemy.

It seemed so long ago.

The weirdest part of being back was not being ordered around.

In some ways, it was a relief to be free.

But she missed the order.

At least Abbey had three meals a day while in training. And a place to sleep.

And friends.

She was never alone.

But it was different now.

Abbey didn't like it.

…

Walking into the reception room, she saw a mouse run right by her feet.

Abbey's eyes followed after it.

The mouse squeezed through a small crack in the wall.

Reception wasn't so welcome here.

The man behind the desk didn't look very friendly. In fact, he glared at Abbey when she walked inside. As if he was expecting her to judge the hell out of this place. And she might have done. It wasn't that hotel in Austria, or the Hoff in Berchtesgaden, that's for sure. Half of the walls hadn't been painted and the carpet was green and stained with God's knows what.

But it was cheap.

Abbey couldn't go over budget.

She stepped over a wet patch on the carpet and made it over to the desk.

"A room for one night, please".

Sighing, the man got up from his chair.

Reaching by the many hooks, where all the keys were, he then placed one on the counter.

"Room thirteen". He said to her, "it ain't hard to find".

Giving him a tiny smile, Abbey took the key and gave him the money.

After the unpleasant exchange, she turned around and opened up a door, which took her into a long and dimly lit corridor. It was very quiet; Abbey might have been the only customer that night in the motel. When the door behind her closed, another one opened. She turned around and looked through the window on the door. A man came into the reception room and walked over to the owner of the motel.

_ Must be another guest;_ she thought, before walking down the corridor.

Putting the key into the keyhole, Abbey unlocked and opened the room.

The room was dark.

It didn't have a window.

Switching on the light, a bulb flickered on soon after.

There lay a small bed, a dresser and a door, which led into a bathroom.

The walls were green, the carpet was dark brown.

And like the reception room, painted with stains.

_ At least it has a picture of the ocean. _

She thought, while her eyes saw a terrible painting of the beach on the wall.

Abbey closed the door and placed her bag onto the bed.

Taking off her jacket, she placed it over a chair and then removed her boots.

It had been a long day of travelling.

Abbey could have slept for a week.

Pulling back a green blanket she lay down on a lumpy mattress.

The light was still on.

Which was fine, Abbey didn't want the darkness of the room.

And having that light on, helped her fall into a deep and dreamless sleep.


	76. Chapter 75

Something was wrong.

Light seeped into the room, from the gap under the door.

And no light came from the bulb.

Unless the bulb was out.

That would explain things.

Pulling the covers off, Abbey turned around and felt her feet press against the carpet. Stretching her arms above her head, she got up and flicked the light switch.

The bulb was working.

Frowning, she turned around.

_ Oh, shit. _

Her lips parted at the sight before her.

Papers, socks and other items of clothing was scattered around her room. Her bag was empty. Abbey raced towards her things and searched first for her books. They were both gone. As was her golden horse and all her money. Abbey couldn't believe it. She had been robbed.

Running a hand down her face, she tried not to panic.

And then, she suddenly slapped her forehead.

Abbey forgot to lock the door.

_ Idiot! _

It took a few minutes of hating herself before she started to gather up her clothes. Abbey zipped her bag up and slung it around her shoulder before getting onto her feet. She then grabbed the key, which was still inside the keyhole, and left the room.

That same man from yesterday was still behind the desk.

Abbey put the key on the counter.

He looked up from his newspaper and grunted.

Giving her head a shake, she was about to turn around and walk away.

But decided to tell him;

"I got robbed".

He flicked a page from the newspaper.

"My money is gone". She told him, "my golden horse and books as well".

His eyes left the page and met hers.

"And?" He asked, "what'd you want me to do about it?"

Abbey shrugged with a sigh, "nothing, apparently".

"So, don't tell me".

"It's good to share problems". She mumbled, "my friends told me-"

"I don't care". He grumbled, "just go, already".

Abbey turned around and faced the door.

It was raining again.

Sighing, she looked at her watch.

And it was almost twelve.

"Fuck". Abbey muttered, before she ran over to the door and yanked it open.

…

The rain didn't stop.

And Abbey was soaked by the time she reached the hospital.

But at least she had made it.

_ I can see Joe again. _

Opening the door, Abbey stepped inside the room.

"Hey, nut".

But her face paled.

_ That couldn't…_

It was.

Guarnere grinned, "hey – can you believe my luck? Can't get rid of this fucking mick".

"What the hell are you so wet for?" Toye asked, cutting Guarnere off. "Huh?"

Shaking her head, Abbey walked towards the pair of them.

Guarnere was sitting on a chair, a pair of crutches by him.

"It's raining". She pointed out, "you should know that. Your window is open".

Her old Platoon Sargent smirked, "ah, Abbey…you ain't changed a bit, huh?"

Toye sighed, "hang up your jacket, huh? Get that dry – for Christ's sake".

But she smiled.

He hadn't changed either.

Abbey took off her jacket and hung it up on the back of the door.

"Where'd you stay last night?" Guarnere asked.

"Eh – a motel". She responded, "it was okay".

"You heading back there tonight?"

Abbey nodded.

She couldn't worry her friends.

"Yes. The same room".

That seemed to settle Toye's nerves, who let out a relieved sigh.

Guarnere chuckled, "you had this guy worried, nut".

It felt like she hadn't been apart from them.

They acted the same, picking off where they left off.

Abbey sat herself down on the edge of Toye's bed.

And of course, Guarnere had to know.

"What's the deal with 1st Sargent?"

"Talbert demoted himself". She mumbled with a shrug, "I was next in line".

"That's it?"

"That's it". Abbey confirmed. "Anyway, have you seen much of Frannie?"

Guarnere grinned, "oh, you bet, nut". He said, "she comes by most days with my parents".

"That's good". She commented softly, "and what about you, Joe?"

"Me?" Toye asked, shaking his head. "I was waiting for you".

Abbey rubbed the back of her neck.

Which made the two men chuckle.

"I'm messing with you, Abbey". Toye said to her with a grin, "sorry".

Shaking her head, her hand left her neck.

"Please. Never mess with me again".

"Can't make any promises, Abbey".

Soon, the two men were informing Abbey of what they got up to in the hospital.

Her personal favourite were their wheelchair races down the corridor.

Or, when they both wheeled down to the beach.

At least they were still raising hell.

Abbey lost herself in their stories, forgetting about her problems. She forgot about a lot of things, like how hungry she was or how dry her mouth was. It didn't seem to matter with her friends. They could take away any problem. Abbey might have been homeless, but she always felt at home with them.

"Doing anything for Christmas, nut?"

"No, I don't think so".

Guarnere said, "we'll probably still be here".

"Can I come?" She asked.

"I don't see why not". Toye told her, "just bring us presents-"

"whiskey". Guarnere said.

Abbey smiled a little.

She'd love to do that for them.

"We're kidding". Guarnere assured her, "just bring your merry self, Abbey".

Biting her bottom lip, she looked at her hands.

"It will be a very empty Christmas".

And the two men frowned in thought.

"No more Christmas's there". Guarnere promised himself, "never again".

Abbey looked over at them and wondered if they'd sit and think about Bastogne on Christmas day. Abbey knew she would. She'd never forget that day. She slept in a hole with Roe and Welsh got hit by shrapnel. It was an eventual night. With the look on their faces, Abbey decided to quickly change the subject.

"The men would often sing; I'll be seeing you".

That made Toye smile, "as good as me?"

Smiling, Abbey shook her head. "That would be impossible, Joe. You sing that song so well".

Guarnere laughed, "Christ, nut! I'd rather listen to Ralph sing".

She shuddered, "I wouldn't".

That medic was a terrible singer.

…

"…we woke up with a tattoo, so, I decided to get three more".

"You're crazy, Bill".

"I know…Wild Bill, huh?"

When someone knocked on the door, the three of them looked towards the sound.

The door opened and a young woman stepped inside.

Abbey frowned, "Mary?"

"Abbey!" She beamed, closing the door. "You know, Joe?"

"Yes. Joe Toye is my squad leader and friend".

Smiling, Toye placed his hand on Abbey's shoulder.

"You two already met?"

"On the train". Mary told him softly, "I warned her about a certain guy".

Guarnere raised an eyebrow and looked at his friend, "is that so?"

Clearing her throat, Abbey continued to look at Mary.

"Is Joe your friend too, Mary?"

"Actually-"

"she's my girlfriend, Abbey". Toye told her, "we met here, at the hospital".

Abbey frowned a little and looked at him.

"Because her father works here?"

"That's right".

Mary gave them a soft smile, "I can come back later, darling-"

"no, sweetheart". Toye said to her, "nah – sit down, huh? Is it still raining out?"

Taking off her jacket, she hung it up beside Abbey's.

"Actually, it's starting to snow".

Great. Abbey thought, sarcastically.

That's just what she needed.

"Ah – the weathers crazy here". Gaurnere commented, "you seen Frannie down there?"

Mary shook her head, "not yet, Bill".

Abbey watched, while she walked over to them and took the spot on the other side of Toye's bed. The couple smiled at each other, before their lips met in a sweet and quick kiss. Abbey frowned again and looked down at her hands.

It felt strange, seeing a woman kiss him.

Abbey didn't understand why.

Maybe she just wasn't used to it.

She figured that was the case.

"Hope she don't get soaked".

"She'll get the train straight down". Mary assured him, "don't worry about her, Bill".

It seemed the three of them had grown close since they met.

And it almost felt like Abbey was intruding.

So, when the nurse told her "time was up", Abbey felt slightly relieved to be going.

After a quick goodbye, she put on her jacket and left the hospital, with nowhere to go. It was snowing, Mary was right. Abbey hated the snow. Stuffing her hands inside her pockets, she walked towards the bus shelter. It would have to do. She couldn't exactly camp inside the hospital; she'd only get chucked out.

Unfortunately, the bus shelter didn't want her.

After sitting there for an hour, people started to give her little glares or pitiful looks. So, Abbey moved and found another source of shelter. She sat down on a step, where a roof protected her from the falling snow. Huddling into the corner, Abbey wrapped her arms around herself. It really did feel like Bastogne again for her. Only, she was alone this time. Well and truly alone.

The war was over.

But the fight to survive continued.

Her head went back against the side of the wall, while her eyes watched the snow fall. Abbey wished she had kept her blanket. She could have used it. At least it would offer her some protection from the cold. And it was only going to get worse. The temperature would drop over night and she'd end up freezing. But at least it wouldn't be as cold as Bastogne.

Nothing could ever be that cold.

For a moment, Abbey felt sorry for herself.

It wasn't fair. She had fought a war. She shouldn't be sleeping on the street.

It wasn't meant to end this way.

Abbey wasn't supposed to be homeless with no money.

She wasn't supposed to go hungry again.

Her eyes wondered down at her boots, while snow fell onto the front of them. The stairs weren't spacious, but Abbey had to be grateful for the roof above her head.

And grateful that she saw her friends again.

But at what cost?


	77. Chapter 76

_ "Captain Speirs, _

_ It's almost been a week since I arrived in Atlantic City. Well, the weather is terrible, and I am always cold. My feet are numb and so are my hands and nose. But at least Joe and Bill are both doing great. Joe even has a fiancé, Mary. They're planning on getting married in mid-December. Which is decent, I suppose. But it's weird seeing Joe getting kissed by Mary. I mean, they are happy and in love, but it just feels strange. _

_ I hate to ask you this, sir, but could you send me food? Just address it to Joe at the hospital and I will collect it when it arrives. I am not sure if you have replied to my other letters, I must miss them. I'm sorry, sir. And I'm sorry if my letters are bothering you, it just sometimes feels strange not being in a military environment. I think I'm doing this all wrong, sir. _

_ Hope you are okay. Not long until December. _

_ With kind regards. _

_ -Abbey". _

…

Turning on the tap, she cupped the cold water into her hands.

Taking a drink first, she then cleaned the blood off her face.

And knuckles.

That same guy tried to steal her spot again on the stairs. And Abbey, yet again, had to fight him off. She came off worse, but he eventually cleared away, when he realised, she wasn't about to stand down. And when that guy left, Abbey passed out and woke up frozen from the snow and ice.

It was her worst night so far in Atlantic City.

Grabbing a few paper towels, she dried her face.

Abbey looked back at her reflection in the mirror.

Her eye was bruised, and her lip was cut.

But it was nothing too serious.

Binning the paper towels, Abbey left the public bathroom.

It was raining, not snowing now. But it was still freezing. She made it back to her little spot on the stairs and checked her watch. Abbey had two hours before she was allowed to visit her friends in the hospital. So, she sat down and tried not to torment herself with the thought of food. But food was everywhere. Just across the road, she could see men loading boxes of food into a van. And, right next door to her was a bakery.

It was torture.

Abbey was so hungry.

Every day, she thought about going into that bakery and stealing a slice of bread. She almost put a rock through the window last night and robbed the place dry. And she would have done, Abbey was hungry enough, but she hadn't lost her mind yet.

She should just admit it to her friends.

She should tell them of her struggles.

But they were going through enough.

Abbey didn't want to trouble them.

She couldn't burden them.

_ It's not meant to end this way. _

…

"What the fuck happened to you?"

Closing the door, Abbey decided to keep her coat on.

Toye had the window open still, and it was cold.

Just like every day.

Shaking her head to Toye's question, she sat down on the chair.

"Slipped on the ice". Abbey said to him, "last night – where is Bill?"

"With Frannie". He replied, "you alright?"

She nodded, "yes. I am not harmed".

Toye snorted, "right – tell that to your fucking face".

Abbey's lips twitched, "I do not have a mirror".

"Then I'll tell you – you're hurt".

_ How could he say that? _

He was hurt, not her.

Abbey gave her head another shake, "honestly, it's fine, Joe".

She just liked being indoors again with her friends.

It was like she was home.

Abbey leaned back against the chair, while Toye told her about Mary.

He looked happy.

His eyes lit up.

And he smiled.

Which made her feel better because he was so happy. Life was looking up for her old squad leader. After everything Toye had gone through, something so brilliant came out in the end.

"You were right". He said to her quietly, "it does get better".

And she felt her gut tighten.

"Yes". Abbey whispered.

It got better for him.

She hoped, for everyone else.

It was taking its time for Abbey.

Toye's smile saddened, "and I was on that damn roof".

She frowned.

That night felt like a lifetime ago.

And then she remembered her night on the church roof.

_ They saved me for nothing. _

Abbey blinked a few times, when her eyes started to burn.

Toye reached over and took her hand, "hey…".

Shaking her head, Abbey cleared her throat.

"You alright, Abbey?"

"Yes". She mumbled, though, sounded slightly tearful. "Yes – I am fine".

Smiling softly, Toye squeezed her hand.

"That's our girl".

Abbey huffed quietly.

"I have not heard that in a while".

He let go of her hand, "it ain't changing, Abbey". He said, "we'll always looks out for you".

And she wanted to tell him.

Because all of her problems, were pressing down on her. Like she was drowning, or someone was hitting her over and over again on the chest. It was hard to breathe with all that weight.

It was exhausting.

"You got any other clothes?"

Abbey snorted, "what are you trying to tell me?"

Toye smirked, "I 'wanna be kind, Abbey…but you know, you look a little dirty".

"I have no other clothes". She mumbled, "I will purchase some shortly-"

"you got enough money?"

Abbey rubbed her lips together.

Then, she nodded.

"Well, put it to good use". Toye pressed, "huh? Get yourself a nice set of clothes".

Smiling a little, she said, "yes. Okay, sir".

He chuckled, "pain in my ass still".

…

_ Hunger was the worst. _

_ And it wouldn't go away. _

_ Abbey had well and truly lost her mind. Just after three, she walked right by her step and walked inside the bakers. Inside, a man was there to greet her, with a jolly smile and a warm welcome. And she almost felt bad but God, she was too hungry to feel bad. _

Fuck that happy man;_ she thought bitterly. _

_ Reaching up towards the counter, she picked up a hot roll from the basket. _

_ Abbey took a large bite. _

_ She hummed, "that's – that's really good…"._

_ The baker cleared his throat, "now, you can't do that-"_

_ "shut up". Abbey mumbled, taking another bite. _

_ "I'll call the police". _

_ "I don't care". She said, "do it, I'll still eat everything". _

_ Finishing the roll, her hand clenched into a fist and she broke the glass under the counter. _

_ Practically tearing the rest of the glass away, Abbey grabbed the pastries. _

_ And she ate the five items in her hands. _

_ One after the other. Shoving endless amounts of food into her mouth. _

_ Abbey sat on the ground, with a pile of food on her lap. _

_ The baker tried to stop her. _

_ "We've got a problem here, Sargent". _

_ Chewing still, Abbey ignored his worries. _

_ "I had no food". She said, "I had to get food". _

_ Picking up another pastry, she was about to shove it into her mouth. _

_ "Hey – wait a minute-"_

_ But Abbey chucked the pastry at the baker. _

_ A large bang went off. _

_ One single shot. _

_ From a gun. _

_ And the baker fell onto the ground, blood pooling out of his head._

…

Gasping, Abbey's eyes snapped open.

And before she could process the dream, she leaned forwards and started to vomit. Nothing came out, she just dry heaved with a small amount of bile, which looked green and burned coming up. And her stomach was in agony – it hurt so much. Arms wrapping around herself, Abbey curled onto her side and closed her eyes tightly.

_ Hunger pains? _

She didn't know.

But it didn't feel good.

And with her stomach pain, came the chills. She felt cold and warm, both at the same time. Her body was confused. Abbey knew she was having a fever, she remembered what it felt like before, but this was different, Abbey didn't have a swollen throat or flu-like symptoms.

She just felt severely sick.

Abbey stumbled onto her feet.

Her arms never left her stomach.

Slowly, she walked towards the public bathroom and entered.

From there, she turned on the tap and rinsed her mouth out with water, before taking a few much-needed sips. But once she swallowed the water, it came right back up again. As well as feeling sick, Abbey felt gutted. She couldn't see her friends the next day, not if she was sick.

Looking at her watch, she saw that it was almost seven at night.

Someone would be locking these bathrooms shortly.

Despite just getting sick, Abbey took another drink of water and left the bathrooms. She stumbled back down onto her step and breathed in deeply, willing herself to keep the water down. And it did stay down, for about two minutes. Abbey lost the water and vomited down the step. It was horrible. The retching hurt every muscle and bone in her body. And her stomach hurt and ached terribly.

She even whimpered, while tears dripped down her face.

Sniffing, Abbey wiped her face.

It was such a low point.

She just wanted it to end.

…

_ "…I hate to ask you this, sir, but could you send me food? Just address it to Joe at the hospital and I will collect it when it arrives. I am not sure if you have replied to my other letters, I must miss them. I'm sorry, sir. And I'm sorry if my letters are bothering you, it just sometimes feels strange not being in a military environment. I think I'm doing this all wrong, sir. _

_ Hope you are okay. Not long until December. _

_ With kind regards. _

_ -Abbey"._

Lowering the letter, Speirs frowned deeply.

And he knew something wasn't right.

_ Why would she ask for food? _

Placing the letter into his pocket, he walked up the gangplank and towards the ship. He was getting to go home earlier than expected. Which came at the right time. Speirs would need to make a slight change of plan. His main focus now was seeing if Abbey was okay. And if she wasn't, then he'd fix the problem.

When he got onto the ship, he spotted Winters and Nixon on the deck.

Many of the locals in France were there to wave them off.

But Speirs couldn't join in with the celebration.

"Something is wrong with Abbey".

Frowning, Winters looked at him.

Speirs sighed, "she – well, she asked me to send her food".

"Oh, boy". The Major mumbled, "where is she?"

"Atlantic City". Speirs replied, "I figure I'll see to her now".

Winters continued to look at the Captain.

Speirs had already made plans to see his wife and son.

"Ron". He said, "get on the other ship-"

"no, I've 'gotta-"

"look, me and Lew are heading that way anyway". Winters said to him, "go see your wife and son".

Speirs bit down on his lip.

He promised his wife he'd be there.

But Abbey needed him too.

Winters clapped his shoulder, "it's 'gonna be fine. We'll take care of her".

"I'll go straight to her". Speirs promised, more to himself than Winters.

He smiled softly, "I know, Ron…I'll let her know".

Giving them both a nod, Speirs quickly pushed passed the crowd of soldiers and ran down the gangplank. He made it back onto the truck, just in time, which would take him to the correct ship. And he would see Abbey again. Speirs had it all planned out. He'd spend a few days with his wife and son, then it was back to the States to check in on Abbey.

He hoped she was okay.


	78. Chapter 77

Abbey wasn't getting better.

It had been a while since she last saw her friends.

Her stomach still hurt; her body ached but at least she could keep down water. Well, sometimes she could keep down water. The moment the nausea hit her, Abbey didn't have the strength to fight it off and she'd lose all the fluids she had taken in that day. So, when that man showed up to take her spot, Abbey couldn't fight back.

"Take it". She slurred, "I don't care…".

He pulled a face, "I liked fighting you, soldier".

Abbey opened one eye and looked at him, "sorry to disappoint. I'm not well".

"Why you not well?"

She sighed, "that is a question which has no answer". She said, "everyone gets ill. It was my turn, I suppose".

He was an older man.

Maybe late forties or early fifties.

And he sat down next to Abbey, with a tiny frown.

"Why you homeless, you're too young".

"I got robbed". She whispered, "and I don't have a home".

He nodded slowly, "I don't have a home".

"It explains a lot".

The man chuckled very quietly, "I like that. Sarcasm".

Abbey looked back at him, "what happened to you?"

"Lost my job". He said, "lost my wife. Lost my kid. Lost my life".

Her eyebrows formed a frown.

"I…that's sad. I'm very sorry".

The man shrugged, "I'm still alive. Just".

She licked her dry and chapped lips.

"Are you going to stop fighting me?" Abbey asked him, "we could become…allies?"

The man cracked a smile, "I don't make allies". He said, "everyone is out for themselves".

Head leaning back against the wall, Abbey looked towards quiet road.

It was a cruel world, when everyone was out for themselves.

"They don't care about us". He said, "I don't care about them – or you".

She nodded, "I wish I could say the same". Abbey mumbled.

He got back onto his feet and looked at her.

"I need this spot".

She sighed.

He was actually going to do this.

Slowly, Abbey got onto her feet.

"No". She croaked, "no – you can't…it's my spot".

"Your war killed my family".

It wasn't just a fight anymore.

Abbey's heart dropped.

And she tilted her head to the side.

"What?"

He raised his fist, "why'd you drag us into your war, Limey?"

"What – we didn't, I don't under-"

"we saved you!" He exclaimed, with a laugh. "And our boys died – my boy died!"

"I helped you!" Abbey yelled back, "I joined your army!"

He punched her, in the face.

Abbey fell back and landed on the wet and cold ground.

Coughing, she saw blood splatter on the stones.

"You didn't save us". She croaked, "and we didn't…we didn't start it…they bombed us. They destroyed my country for years".

He kicked her in the stomach.

Abbey coughed again.

And whimpered.

Her fingers gripped the concrete.

"Fuck". She mumbled, "stop…I get it, okay? You are angry at me for – for your delusions-"

"I'm not delusional!" He snapped.

And he kicked her again.

Right under the chin.

Her teeth bit down hard on her lip; she tasted blood.

"I'm sorry". She pressed out between clenched teeth, "okay? I'm sorry about your son…but it's not my fault".

And he kicked her, one more time.

"Get away from my step – get out of my country!"

…

When he walked into the room, Toye wasn't alone.

But he was extremely surprised to see him.

"Sir?"

Winters smiled a little, shaking his head.

"Call me Dick, Joe".

Walking over to his old Sargent, the pair of them shook hands.

"How're you doing, Joe?"

"Good, sir – ah – Dick". He quickly corrected himself, "they say I'll be out soon".

He smiled again, "good – yeah, that's good".

The young woman beside Toye got up and extended her hand.

"Pleasure to meet you".

Winters smiled, "likewise…".

"Mary". She replied, shaking his hand. "Joe's fiancé".

He looked over at Toye, "well, congratulations".

"Thank you, Dick".

Winters was a little disappointed that Abbey wasn't there.

He checked his watch, just to make sure he had the times right.

Toye frowned a little, "looking for Abbey?"

He looked away from his watch, "has she left already?"

And Toye's frown deepened, "she ain't been here in over a week".

…

Things had to get better.

She told Toye that.

It had to work for her too.

But sitting out in the open, vulnerable to all elements, Abbey doubted it. In fact, she was sure this would kill her. She was ill, wounded and at the mercy of the winter season. Her new spot was the railings, which sat near the dock by the water. It was colder there but she felt close to her parents and Liverpool by the ocean and the rocking boats.

It made her feel less alone.

When the clouds parted and the rain stopped, Abbey looked up.

The moon was shinning back down on her.

Her lips twitched.

It really was a beautiful sight. Putting light, on a shitty situation. She tucked her hands under her armpits for warmth and leaned back against the railing, still staring at the moon. And just having that light, it gave her a sense of hope – maybe it would get better because it had to.

_ This couldn't be it. _

Biting down on her bottom lip, which quivered, Abbey watched a cloud cover the moon.

The light went on.

Taking in a shaky breath, a tear rolled down her cheek.

_ Why wasn't it getting better?_

Abbey sniffed and let out a tiny sob.

She tried to stop it, she tried to stop feeling so bad.

But how could she help it, when things felt so wrong?

Suddenly, another light flashed against her face.

It was a lot brighter.

Abbey ended up closing her eyes in protest.

But a voice followed after, "are you Abbey Harrison?"

Eyes still closed, she nodded.

"Ops – sorry".

The light was turned off.

Abbey opened her eyes and saw a figure standing in front of her.

She looked up and saw that he was wearing a cap and a uniform.

His badge was newly polished, she could make it out in the darkness.

"I'm Officer Downie. We've been ordered to find you".

Licking her dry lips, they soon part.

"Why?" Abbey croaked.

"You have some worried friends". Officer Downie told her kindly, "come back to the station with me, huh? We'll get you warmed up and I'll call for your friend".

It could have been Toye or Guarnere.

Hell, it could have been Mary.

Either way, Abbey was glad.

Taking the policeman's hand, she was soon pulled onto her feet.

Staggering a little, the man wrapped his arm around her.

"You're not feeling good, huh?" He guessed, "I'll get you some water at the station".

Abbey remined quiet.

The pair of them walked away from the dock.

"Jesus". He whispered, "you veterans, you shouldn't be living on the streets".

Rubbing her lips together, Abbey shrugged.

"Bad luck". She mumbled.

It wasn't a long walk to the station but when they walked inside, Abbey spotted a couch and sat down. She was leaning back against the couch and sank down, head almost resting against the armrest. She could have fallen asleep, but the Officer wanted her to drink some water first.

"Let me dry your coat off".

Sitting up, Abbey removed her jacket and handed it to him.

Smiling, Downie then handed her a cup of water.

"I'll go make that call". He said, before heading into another room – his office, probably.

By the time she finished off her water, Downie exited his office, with an aid kit.

Sitting down next to her, he opened up the box and brought out a few cotton balls and plasters. Abbey almost forgot about her face; it must have looked terrible. The policeman cleaned the dry blood from her face and covered her cuts with plasters.

"Your friend will be here soon". He told her, "you know, I've been in this job for three years and I ain't ever come across a female American Paratrooper from Liverpool".

Abbey's lips twitched.

"It's quite…strange, Officer".

"It is". He murmured, "I hope things work out for you now, 1st Sargent".

Swallowing, she looked down at her bruised knuckles.

Raising an eyebrow, Downie followed her stare.

"Fist fights, huh?" He guessed, "who's the unlucky son of a bitch?"

Abbey snorted softly, "he won".

"Yeah?" He said, "well, you ain't 'gotta worry about sleeping outside anymore. Your buddy assured me of that".

She raised her eyes and looked at him, "which friend?"

"Uh – Dick Winters".

Abbey huffed softly, "really?"

Downie nodded, "yeah…he's been searching high and low for you. Contacted us this morning to help him find you". He informed her, "my team are very happy I found you safe".

Her eyes softened.

"I'm glad he did". Abbey mumbled quietly.

"Us too, Abbey".

Downie gave her a smile before asking;

"how're you feeling?"

Abbey sighed, "I still feel sick".

"Well, don't puke on my station floor, huh?" He joked lightly, "bathrooms to your right".

"Thanks".

"Much better". He commented with a smile, after putting on the last plaster. "You don't notice a thing".

She huffed out a tiny laugh.

"You don't have to lie". Abbey mumbled, "my face is full of plasters. It's highly noticeable".

Leaning back a little, Downie grinned. "You ever thought of joining the police? Christ, you'd make an exceptional Officer".

Snorting softly, she shook her head.

"No, thank you". Abbey declined, "I will remain with the army, if they need me again".

Downie cleared his throat, "I couldn't enlist you know…some health problems they didn't agree with. But I've seen a lot of soldiers come home. They sure know how to drink, huh? Lots of bar fights. I tell you, my job ain't so boring anymore since you lot came home".

Rubbing the back of her neck, Abbey tried to think of what to say.

She got it.

Why the soldiers were acting out.

It had been a hard war.

"It will calm down". She eventually said quietly, "it was…something's are difficult".

Downie looked at her, "you know, how come your face ain't printed on every single newspaper? You should be famous, Abbey".

Her eyes widened a little.

"Oh, no, please". She mumbled, "I do not want that".

Downie smiled, "not a fan of the spotlight?"

"I would hate to explain". Abbey whispered, "I could not talk about it".

He closed the aid kid, "I get it". Downie said, "I've seen some things with being an Officer".

She slowly looked at him.

He sighed, "had nightmares for months…couldn't eat, felt cold inside".

Abbey remembered feeling like that.

But somehow, they all managed to carry on.

"You managed to carry on". She said, "that is…courageous".

Lips twitching, Downie sighed and got up.

"Right – you need anything? I could make us some coffee?"

Abbey gave her head a shake.

"No, thank you". She mumbled, "you have been very kind".

His smile widened, "man…you're a strange one, huh?"

And she smiled back.

"The best people are a bit nutty, Officer Downie".


	79. Chapter 78

_ The weather was kind. _

_ And the grass was soft. _

_ A small and gentle breeze would brush past the wonderful garden, causing the branches on the trees to sway and dance. Birds were chirping and singing, while they bathed in the shallow water from the bird bath. And sitting under the bird bath was Stewart, who was clapping his hands together and laughing, while the bird's feathers tickled his cheeks while they flew by him. _

_ Standing a few feet away was Mathew, who was filming the sweet scene. _

_ And Helen was sitting behind her son. _

_ It was a magical and happy family moment. _

_ Abbey was sitting up on the grass, watching them. _

_ She was smiling, feeling her eyes well-up. _

_ It was so perfect. _

_ Nothing could ever be that perfect again. _

_ Soon, Mathew looked over at her. _

_ Smiling, he gave Abbey a wave. _

_ "Go on, our kid – get in there with you mum and brother". _

_ Her eyes brightened. _

_ Abbey got onto her feet and walked over beside them. _

_ She sat down next to her mum, who was kissing the top of Stewart's head. _

_ "Such a happy baby". Helen cooed, "my beautiful little baby boy…". _

_ A lump got stuck in Abbey's throat. _

_ She placed a quiet hand on her mum's arm. _

_ Helen looked at her daughter, "everything okay, sweetheart?" _

_ Taking in a deep breath, a tear rolled down her cheek. _

_ "I love you". Abbey said to her, tearfully. "I miss you. And I'm sorry". _

_ Before Helen could say anything, Abbey pressed her face against her arm. _

_ Closing her eyes, she breathed in her mum's scent. _

_ That familiar floral smell. _

_ Like Spring and washing up liquid. _

_ She missed them so much. _

…

"…Abbey".

Slowly, her eyes opened.

A pair of kind eyes stared back at her.

Very familiar ones.

Sitting up, she looked at Winters.

"Hello, sir".

Smiling small, he sat down next to her on the couch.

"It's good to see you again". He said, "you had us all worried".

"My apologies". She mumbled, "that was not my intention".

Smiling still, Winters nodded.

"Yeah, I know".

She was still sitting in the police station.

Abbey must have fallen asleep on the couch, while waiting for Winters.

"So…Officer Downie tells me he saw you sitting outside?"

Frowning a little, she found a spot on the wall to stare at.

Winters sighed, "Abbey, you should have told them…they could have helped. I thought you had it all figured out?"

"I did what I came here to do, sir". She whispered, "I saw Joe, I even saw Bill. I promised him and that's all that mattered".

He gave his head a little shake.

"You matter too, Abbey".

"I am very small". She mumbled, "in this big world, I am small, and everyone should matter. And Joe had to know how much he still matters to me".

Winters smiled softly at her.

"Well…you matter a lot to him". He told her, "to all of us. And we'd hate to see you struggle".

Abbey scratched the back of her ear.

She sighed, "I got robbed. I love my books, my golden horse and my money".

His face dropped, "I'm sorry, Abbey…".

Giving her head a little shake, she sighed again.

"Money can be replaced". She mumbled, "I was not too sad about that, sir. I was more sad that I lost my gifts". Abbey said, "I don't think I'll ever see a golden horse like that one again. And Captain Speirs can't get me another Peter Pan book, that meant that much to me at the time". She then added, "and Lieb can't give me the Hobbit again, sir".

Abbey frowned again.

"But". She said, "I suppose, it was about time I started a new chapter and let go of old habits".

Winters smiled again.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, "what do you 'wanna do next?"

"Apologies to Joe and Bill". She said, "they'll be very mad at me for not telling them".

Winters chuckled quietly, "that's true. And then what?"

Abbey shrugged.

"I don't know, sir". She said quietly, "I don't like being homeless".

His gut tightened.

"Good thing you're not anymore, huh?"

Frowning again, she looked at him.

"I don't have a home". She reminded him, "I don't have any money. I am still homeless".

Winters gave her shoulder a squeeze, "no, you're coming back with me". He said, "I'll help you get back on your feet again. You can do whatever you want, Abbey. But it's alright to asked for a bit of help now and then…especially from family and friends. We're always willing to help you. You've just 'gotta ask".

Biting down on her lip, Abbey gave him a tiny nod.

She felt her stomach fill with warmth.

That lovely feeling of relief, happiness and gratitude.

Tears filled her eyes.

And the knot in her chest disappeared.

She didn't feel so sick anymore.

"Thank you, sir". She croaked.

Winters felt his own eyes well-up.

Clearing his throat, he nodded, "you're welcome".

Huffing out a laugh, which sounded more like a sob, a few tears rolled down her cheeks. Abbey wiped them away quickly and smiled at him, before she got onto her feet and grabbed her jacket, which was hanging up. Abbey put the cold and damp coat on. Winters got up soon after her and walked towards the door.

Her eyes then spotted Officer Downie, who was still at his desk.

"One moment, sir". She said.

Winters nodded, "alright, Abbey".

She knocked on the officer door before entering.

Downie looked up from his desk and smiled.

"You're going?"

Abbey nodded and closed the door.

"Yes. My friend is here, and he is going to help me".

Downie got up, "oh – yeah, that's good, Abbey…I'm glad".

Rubbing her lips together, Abbey walked and stood in front of his desk.

"Thank you". She said to him softly, "thank you – very much".

Downie smiled, "it's just my job-"

"you are amazing at your job". She cut him off, "and please, may I have your address?"

His eyes widened a little.

"My – my address-"

"I want to write to you". Abbey said, "is that okay?"

Letting out a nervous sort of laugh, Downie nodded.

He rummaged around for a piece of paper and a pencil.

His hands shook slightly, while he wrote down his address.

Downie gave her another smile and handed it to her.

"I hope to here from you soon". He said, "and – uh – my name is Eric".

Smiling small back at him, Abbey extended her hand.

"Lovely to meet you, Eric Downie".

Downie shook her hand, "speak to you soon, Abbey".

…

Just like she thought, Toye was mad.

"You had me so fucking worried!" He yelled, "why didn't you just tell me?!"

He raved and ranted for twenty minutes.

All the while Abbey stood there and took in his every word.

Eventually, Toye stopped.

She cleared her throat, "I have learned my lesson". Abbey told him, "and Winters is going to help me, okay? Please, everything is going to be fine".

Sighing, her old squad leader looked at her.

"Don't fucking lie to me again".

Abbey smiled.

Not because she found it funny.

But because he cared.

And Toye would always remain her best friend.

Her brother.

Taking in a deep breath, she took his hand.

"I'm going back with Winters. He's going back to Pennsylvania for a little while and then he's thinking about moving to New Jersey". She said, "give me a date for your wedding. I want to come".

Toye smiled, "alright, Abbey…hey, you can be my best man, huh?"

She chuckled, "okay, Joe".

He gave her hand a squeeze, "been one hell of a journey, huh?"

Her face turned serious.

Abbey sighed, "Joe, it's been the hardest journey of my life. And if I didn't have you and Easy around me, I would have died a long ago". She swallowed back a lump in her throat, "I'll see you again, Joe".

Toye's eyes filled with tears.

He cleared his throat, "right – give me a fucking hug before we start crying".

Her smile wavered.

Abbey leaned down and placed her head on his chest.

Toye wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

She closed her eyes tightly, "I love you".

He felt a tear roll down his cheek, "I love you too, Abbey".

Abbey could have stayed like that for hours.

But she had to go.

Taking in a deep breath, Abbey moved her head away from his chest.

She then pressed a kiss on his forehead.

"Goodbye, Joe".

…

It was a long journey to Pennsylvania.

But once they reached Lancaster, Abbey fell in love.

The town was simply wonderful.

And everyone knew who Winters was at the station, they all greeted him. Friends he hadn't seen since before the war and of course, his parents and little sister. Abbey settled in well with his family. Edith and Richard were very warm and welcoming. And his little sister was sweet and quiet. The family lived in a lovely home, with a white picket fence with a large tree in the front garden. And for Abbey, this would be home until she decided on what to do with her life next. Though, there was no great rush; as Edith would often tell her. But Abbey hated to burden them. So, it took a few days for her to get used to living with a family again. With two parents who were always there to support and take care of their children.

For two weeks, Winters and Abbey rested inside the lovely family home.

And then, it was back on the road again for New York.

Abbey and Winters spent a lot of time with Nixon and his parents.

It was very strange for her, almost like she didn't belong.

But, like always, Winters and Nixon made sure she joined in on any fun. They saw a few shows, looked around in some shops and Abbey had a few drinks with Nixon. When Winters was offered a job at Nixon Nitration Works in New Jersey, he accepted the offer and in January, Abbey found herself moving with them.

And of course, while all of this was going on, she made sure to tell Speirs, Toye and Officer Downie of her travels. They even managed to squeeze in Toye's wedding. Abbey was the best man and delivered the best speech, because she was so prepared this time;

_ "Joe Toye is my best friend and my squad leader. Though, he cannot order me around anymore, I would still follow him into hell and back again. He is one of the greatest men I have ever had the pleasure to have met and I am extremely thankful that he considers me a friend -a best friend. Without Joe, life would be extremely dull and pointless. With him in our lives, he never fails to make us smile, happy and sometimes, a little pissed off". _

_ Toye laughed at that. _

_ "Thank you for choosing me". She said to him, "I love you. And I am so happy for you and Mary". _

It was a lovely day.

New Jersey was interesting as well.

Abbey lived in a small two bedroomed house with Winters.

Nixon had already met a new young woman.

And while he was at work, Abbey got herself a part time job in a bookstore. She didn't have plans beyond the bookstore. There were no wars to fight and she couldn't afford to get into a college, like Winters. So, she was fine working with books.

However, that all changed.

Speirs walked back into her life.

It happened on a Friday afternoon.

Abbey was alone in the house; Winters was at work.

When someone knocked on the door, she put down the book she was reading and got up to answer it. Of course, when Abbey saw Speirs, her lips broke out into a huge smile. And he returned the smile.

"Sargent". He greeted lightly.

"Hello, sir". Abbey opened the door wider, "come in".

It was different this time around.

They weren't wearing their uniforms and they didn't have to stand in attention.

But it felt nice.

"I've moved back to the States". Speirs said to her, once they were sitting on the couch.

Abbey tilted her head to the side.

He cleared his throat, "we're getting divorced…".

"I'm sorry". She whispered, truly meaning it.

Speirs sighed, "yeah – me too".

"Do you need help?" Abbey asked him carefully, and then added, "Winters has a girlfriend".

He huffed, "seriously?"

She nodded, "yes, she's very lovely. I have met her a lot since they started seeing each other". Abbey then said, "and I think they deserve to live alone and start a life together".

His eyebrows twitched, "what are you suggesting?"

Abbey shrugged, "do you want to live together, sir?"

Staring at her for a few moments.

Speirs then smiled, "alright".

"Very good, sir". She smiled back at him.

Abbey then got up from the couch and extended her hand to him.

"Come on". She urged gently, "we have to get drunk, you are in pain".

Huffing out a little laugh, he accepted her hand.

"Lead the way, 1st Sargent".

She nodded, "yes". Abbey said, "we will get drunk and then buy a house".

Speirs chuckled.

"They're right". He said, "you are nutty".

She grinned.

"The best people are, sir".


	80. AN

Thank you very much for sticking around! It's been a blast writing this story, I've really enjoyed it.

Abbey has been my favourite character to write so far and I'm pretty sure I've said that about all the other characters but she has a special place in my heart. I have a few ideas with what what to do next. Would anyone be interested in a sequel? I've never done a sequel for a band of brothers story before but I think I could manage one for Abbey if you'd like that? I don't want to do it if you think I'd just be dragging this story on haha But it's just an idea. And I'd be willing to do one if you's wanted :)

Anyway, thank you again. I was going to delete this story way back after the first five chapters because I couldn't see it working but I'm really glad I stuck it out and completed it. So, thank you again for all your support, it means a lot. I'll see you in the next one!


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